The Almond Branch

I guess I was there,

When the torrent broke 

Fueling your pain; 

Knowing how it would end, 

Unfortunately, 

As the winds flayed 

In that instant 

I stood writhing, listening, 

As you spoke, 

To the way you laughed alone 

To an inward joke 

After you led me through the dark 

Down to a quiet precipice 

With your unconscious charm 

Silently prepared to leap 

In a fit of emptiness 

Outside of the fact that I

Loved you, had loved you, wanted to love you still 

Outside of the fact that 

You were yearning, were hurting, were drowning in the night 

Outside of the fact that 

I was here, and you were there, and They were nowhere in sight 

Outside of the fact that 

I felt every lash, every single stab of the displaced aftermath 

Of your burning will 

Torn by your emotions, 

Lost in your thoughts 

Unable to stand 

Without the support

Of an almond branch 

And so it wasn't pertinent to you, 

On that cliff, with your heart in flames 

And though you were oblivious 

To me, It was very relevant. 

You didn't see what it took 

To withhold my feelings, then; 

How I struggled to let you suffer, 

The night at the Griffith 

How I showed to you, 

The inner workings of my soul 

Those little things that were rooted so deep 

As a final resort, exposed and vulnerable, 

Playing the music to apologize wherever I failed to speak 

And for a moment it seemed okay, 

Flashing a smile to wipe the meekness away, 

Coming a little closer, as you spread your arms for closure 

But you twinged so awkwardly that I couldn't comprehend.

Perhaps at the thought of your bitterness, and embarrassment 

To invite me alone to this place, to make your painful confession 

And for me, that was not enough to create the distance 

That you so desperately clinged to, because I felt you 

And of course, you wouldn't accept my kindness 

As I tried to work around your conditions, 

What love was and how it was expressed, 

So I assumed the only role that was left, 

Left to me, by you

Author's Note

Subtle color scheme manipulation for dramatic emphasis
*Could be considered the 4th installment to my series "Inertia"
However, it is a very stand alone piece.

Image: Almond_Tree_by_PerpetualSunSet
*Light, almost white text, is the speaker, mumbling under their breaths

Reviews

[frivolous treasures]

What a beautiful poem. This was a smooth read, with great meaning in it's depth.
Your last two lines really finished it nicely, and I think, it was my favorite line.
Emotional, sad, and chilling, this was a marvelous piece of work you have penned... great job!!

[Abraxasbird]

Hearing that you can sympathize with the depths I relayed in this poem, means alot especially because so many of your pieces do everything but skirt the superficial, I love the intuitive depth you communicate :)

[frivolous treasures]

Your welcome... and I really loved this poem, it was deep. And thank you so much for your good will toward my poetry, it means a lot. I appreciate it :)

[Abraxasbird]

lol i just read my comment.. and realized how pompous i sounded, just one of those defense mechanisms when someone likes something that dear to you and you dont know how to hide the hurt so act tough, thanks again

[frivolous treasures]

Oh, psh, don't be silly. You did not sound pompous.

[Kailani]

Amazing poem, it flows together really well and has a good rhythm. It's also passionate, original, and I like how you extenuated some of the words by making them darker or lighter. It's both visually pleasing and a beautiful poem to read.