there is a boy who breathes your name in his sleep
while you stitch up his broken heart with soft hands
and trace the constellations on his cheeks.

you are allowed to want him too.
but you are a soldier first and foremost, armed with
desperation and the knowledge that he needs you.

as the sun disappears and the moon makes his skin shine
you wonder why you never noticed the way he looked at you
like he was being blinded by a solar flare.

you follow his footprints because they’ll bring you home
and you make a tally mark on your heart for every day you’re gone
and you hope he hasn’t forgotten you.