When I close my eyes
I see everything,
every little detail
Similar to a puzzle I wasn't able to put together at the time
but now that it is all laid out,
pieces fit together perfectly
They snap right into place as everything is put on display
Letters and love sitting there like World War Two artifacts

And there I see it,
the first ever bouquet of red roses you gave me
They were once thriving and happy,
same as you and I
Now they are dead and miserable,
same as you and I

I read what you had written underneath
Wondering how on Earth you could possibly explain roses
But apparently, the answer was simple:
“Flowers last as long as love.”

I keep walking,
staring at all the people somehow involved in our love story
My mom,
she loved you by the way,
same as me
Your dad,
he looked at me with utter disgust
How I wanted myself to look at you
alas, I could never

I read what you had written underneath their prodding eyes
Wondering if you felt the same as your father
The answer?
“As much as I stopped loving you, I will never hate you.”

I move to the next scene,
the small golden chain hangs from a hook
From that,
hangs your initial
Plainly engraved in the bright and polished metal
looking perfect as always,
just as you and I once did
My warm brown hair falls over my shoulder,
giving you access to my neck
I hear the clicking of the clasp
The necklace that I would've never taken off now sits,
sits around a metal neck
tasting everything but skin

I read what you had written underneath
Puzzled by everything,
curious on why you would even buy me the necklace
Especially if it would simply end up here in the end
You had just written:
“I regret this necklace.”

I had a poor attempt at keeping tears from flowing
I hear drips and drops onto the floor
I see a puddle surrounding me
and gingham,
red and white gingham
Its Sitting on a grassy floor with small crumbs littered around
The ants march to gather what's left of our broken and
out worn love
I stare at the pattern and it blinds me
making me nauseous
My head is spinning
I watch as the threads unravel
being pulled by some odd invisible force
A knot catches in the process
The force pulls and pulls and pulls
Eventually,
this invisible force wins
leaving the strands scattered and alone
Bundled up into separate piles
They know they were once together,
loved and loving
And now here they were,
one no longer loving and one no longer loved