Stunted

I first saw you in a cloud shaped like a man
And in the wingspan of an eagle

You spun your sky around me
Till I flowered and froze
And so wintersweet and willingly
Became the shape you chose.

I wanted you to grow me
Like a tiger lily
I wanted your hand to fit
In the small of my back

But instead my bones turned black
And I blossomed and burned
When my back was turned.

In your shadow, I was never alone
In your echo, I became a semi-tone

I should’ve flown
Before your eyes caught me
And turned me into stone
I should’ve known
Your aim was to distort me
And leave me on my own
Bittersweet, frostbitten
In your long-forgotten city

The history of our love
Like a mystery, like a dove
Is written in graffiti
Where our harboured street
And the moon’s reflection meet

And I’ll always wonder how
You managed to make me feel so tall
And at the same time
So incredibly small.