My diseases become your diseases

after Kaveh Akbar

I do not know what to call this

Only that it can kill me

A love like this where there is a latch of your soul hiding in mine

Sharing lead bits and nicotine molecules

We are not truly alive, are we?

Suppose we were and this world was a

reflection of ecstasy

Suppose we were and this world had magic in the ground,

Would we have found each other then?

Please listen to me,

Destruction is sort of a blessing.

I know there is anger in the back of your eyes

I know that rage is the highest degree of a litmus test for a human to show if there is a monster hidden

But I have devoured you

I have loved you so much that I cannot differentiate between eating your heart away-and carrying it with me.

Let's take two pages and write only each other's names

Let's tell the world that the only way to love is to memorize the identity of a person

When I am walking I am also tracing the lines on your toes

Can I ask you a question?

If I were to love someone else, could you shapeshift?

my diseases become your diseases

it is true, be too close to someone and you become a cannibal

maybe we have been using synonyms of love all along

maybe we haven't loved at all

maybe we are just staring at each other

till one of us growls and we are finished