i saw through your lies,
but i still miss you.
is that a sin?
a flaw in my spine?
then let me serve my sentence in memory.

she holds you,
but not like i did—
not like flame holds air.
her kiss is water.
mine was wine.

my love is wide—
victoria lake could drown in it.
it rose higher than the empire state
and dove headfirst
into the deep
where names echo and never return.

so tell me,
if i still desire you,
if i long for you to long for me—
is it a crime?