Steph Shuff
haunted
I was feeling sorry for myself
you're having a baby with someone else
but all at once it occurred to me
when you look at her you think of me
I was the one you wanted
Now all of your loves are haunted
I was feeling sorry for myself
then I remembered I love someone else
I look at him and I feel free
he's everything I needed you to be
Sometimes the room feels haunted
you were never the man I wanted
You hated my writing, hated my past
hated my politics, hated my sass
made it hard to fill the oversized hole
you left by loving my body and hating my soul
Was I ever the one you wanted?
All along our love was haunted
The river runs dry between you and me
Now you get what you asked for — the poetry
I tried to warn you but you wouldn't see
the writing comes rushing at the end of we
Isn't this what you wanted?
Your poetry is here and haunted.