on this day.

for sale: an empty chest.

lxxxiii. FOR SALE: AN EMPTY CHEST.

in the house we never built, keep the cracks sealed. don't fall asleep with the bath running like you used to. think of me when the sun rises and the aroma of pancakes doesn't fill your lungs. listen as the creaks in the floor scream louder than the ghost of me hiding in between walls. in the house we never built, light cinnamon candles, the ones you couldn't before because i was allergic. buy that cat from the shelter, the black and white one, name it sylvester like i promised you could. break open frames that hold memories of what we used to be, burn them in the fireplace that kept us warm on nights like this, or keep them alive; dread on everything that could have been. in the house we never built, fix that goddamn washing machine or at least buy a new one. it flooded more than the tub did. drink red wine, laugh loudly at a joke thrown from the television series you had forgotten about. continue to make the best macaroni and cheese, try to not wash a second plate and cry when i don't come to eat. in the house we never built, don't waste sunny days under your duvet, attempt to wipe away yesterday's mascara from under your eyes, i may be gone, but i still want you to be okay. take everything i have given you, throw it in a box, maybe throw it away. make some money off the diamond ring, use it to buy that new washing machine. in the house we never built, drain away all the despair, unclog the bathtub with all the unkept promises i made. know, that if you were to ever knock down these walls that still hold all that was good and bad, i will still haunt the halls. our love is not like these candles, you can not just blow out the flame and not feel the scent on your skin. even if this house is left in ashes, i hope you still feel an us in your veins.

in the house we never built, forget, move on, set this dead bird free.it's what's better for you and me.