from: Untitled, Steve Connell

I know that
lying here
eyes half closed
semi-naked and restless
is the surest sign that I am like all others
lonely
...
I have cross stitched my mantra into my eyelids
solitude serves the soul
again
solitude serves the soul
again
solitude serves this
and with my eyes clenched shut
it shines like neon signs
and when I say it out loud it sounds like crying

 -- Untitled, Steve Connell

Steven Connell, From: Our Love is Like...

Our love is a memoir and not a comic book and that type of real life is hard.

The whole world will love you on your best days. 

Brave are the precious few who will love you on your worst.

So on them bad days 

When the instinct to run is strong

I want you to get the opposite of gone

I want you all the way here

As if fear has you sweating super glue from your palm

So that the scarier the moment 

The tighter our bond.

My home is in your heart 

so when the bad days come 

we’ll make our fingers into windows and interlock them up tight

And our storm cellar has a bed in it

So turn my ribs to windchimes

And hang them from your lips 

daring the winds to blow.

As our worst days will always provide the chance

To dance

Remember that my brave flavored girl.

 ~Steven Connell, Our Love is Like...