stealing home

when i breathe in, i
find a silent space

beneath the crushing tide
of your acerbic

words; beyond
your touch,

my
mind blooms up

out of blood.
let me take this breath

upon the threshold
of the pain you inflict;

let me steal this jewel
of solitude again,

and live beyond
the burning, be-

yond the waste
you've created.

John Rupert
Ottawa ON