every brush of your fingertips

stained her skin like permanent ink

each kiss stealing her breath

and robbing her of her fight

and though she knew she was nothing

nothing but a bookmark in the novel

of your lovers past

nothing but a dog-eared page

destined to be forgotten

she wanted you to stay

when you left she wanted nothing more

than to beg you to come back

because you carelessly left your words

hanging in the air like a thousand incomplete paper lanterns

your words unforgivingly, sweetly insincere

each four letter l-word 

enunciated with the severity of a bed of needles

"like" or "love" or "lust"

no word hung from her tongue with more fervency

than "loss"

nails hooked into her ridges like a desperate hiker

she wouldn't dare call a cliff hanger

because you both knew how this would end

with crumpled sheets 

and watery eyes

and empty hands

and empty bed

with emotions as displaced

as the girl you left