it's the earthquakes i fear, love.
we may be imperfect
—perfectly, might i add—
and that is what scares me,
keeps me up at night
thinking of things and where
they could go wrong.

this journey, these fault lines
we keep on traveling,
i fear myself
because of my imperfections
—perfect in every way, i might add—
and that makes me wonder
how long before
i desert the chasm,
and how long before
i let go of your hand?

love, we know this road
for as long as we breathed.
thousands of farewells
we lived through.
perhaps, thousands of
failed love, too.
we know how it hurts,
how the fall into a bottomless chasm
—lost, cold, hungry—
we know how that feels.
we know this road, but
we still chose to tackle it every day
—one day at a time—
hand in hand

so it makes me wonder
how long before the earthquakes
shake our journey again?
how long until one of us lets go?
i am scared to be hurt again,
or to hurt someone again.
i am scared to be left alone again,
and to leave someone alone again

where do we stand, now, love?
on sinking sand
eating at our very souls.
but a promise is a promise
—we will sink together
or possibly rise, too.
there will be no regrets
because I get to end
or live with you.

but, love, I can't erase the fact
it's the earthquakes that I fear,
and that I am willing to brave chasms
just so I can keep being with you.