This, is how a heart breaks.
A hairline crack
up through the center

so subtle
you barely notice, at first,
that it’s dividing.

but with every beat
the crack rips deeper,
more crooked,
it never breaks clean.

and your heart must never stop and so,
you must endure the pull
of your own pulse,
as it tears in two

and there are days the ache
is unbearable,
where it seeps out
from between your ribs
and gathers, in the hollows of your throat

And I want you to know, that it’s okay
to fall inside yourself

for the pain to beat into you
like a cold, heavy rain

it’s ok, when you’re breaking,
to not feel alright.

I promise you that someday
you will