you didn’t teach me how to survive without you

so I learned

I learned by bricks, mortar, and clay

wedged fingers into cracks, places belonging to vines

and pulled myself along, snatching roots

stealing life as I went

they never noticed

you never noticed

I never noticed

til it was far too late

too far gone

hand over fist, foot over line, crossing borders

summers burned rivers flowed books eaten

chaos learned

and I became the ghost of Jean Grey

wandered around in your guise

because I could not survive without you

but the truth remained, white across my forehead

try as I may

you are gone

and I am a thief