WARNING: FLICKERING IMAGES
The Air We Held Between Us
last time i was here,
you were too
and that used to hurt
this hope for something solid, slowly disappearing.
but i’m ok, now
and i hope you are too.
i really hope you’re happy,
that everything you wanted,
everything you knew about yourself
is blooming.
i’m sorry that i didn’t see
the space i had to grow
my fingernails, screaming
these tips reaching out
for something that they could not hold.
but thank you anyway
for the space we found,
however briefly.
i’ve let it go now
let the air we held between us
disintegrate and find its freedom.
you were always better at knowing yourself
i’m sorry that it took me so long.
Tom Stockley is a queer punk poet, often known as T.S. IDIOT. Their work has its roots in DIY punk ethics and community activism, and they believe in the value of everyone who has felt othered and abandoned. They write about queerness, mental health and the sadness and small joys we find in the cracks of every day life.