my lungs taste salty when i think of it.

when i think of how bad i want her

how i want to stay with her,

seeing her each day

in class and at rehearsal

my breath gets shallow when i think of it

when i think of never hearing her rant

or hearing her pretty laugh

or watching her from the other side of the room

because pretty soon

she won’t be in the room.

my heart beats faster when i think of it

when i think of her,

a couple years later

dating some boy

holding his hand

and walking with him in the hallway

and that’ll never be me.

my lungs taste salty when i think of it

that it will never be me.

me with her.

that pretty soon,

there won’t be a her at all.