“Ice Heart” written by me. Slam Poem
Words (Give me a minute to add them, thanks!)
You know,
I keep getting told
that a heart growing cold
is a show of weakness
and, you know, fair.
But I’m not estranged from cliche
because cold hearts are a mainstay of
angsty teen over dramatic poetry
O woe is my life after you had left me.
I’ve seen others describe
their own hearts filled with ice
as lifeless
and dead.
I suggest that, instead
Our worth isn’t fleeting
when our chests lack the
beating
beating
beating.
An ice-coated heart is like glass in an action movie.
It’s only good for breaking
but does so
in spectacular fashion
as a window
it merely passes.
I’ve tried being melted.
I’ve held arms so warm they physically burned
like a kid with the stove you’d think I’d ought to have learned
and, ok, fair.
but when you’re partially melted
and left completely alone
you refreeze in a shape
not entirely your own
Each half-measure healing left me feeling just
slightly
more deformed from before, and look.
look.
It’s romantic to look in your eyes
when you say you’ll be here
and I know you’re not lying
or at least, you’re not trying
but I did try a dozen times, so forgive the skepticism if you could.
We with frozen hearts are sworn
to take this breaking and make it an art form
look at this, look at this, I know how cold it is.
Trace the cracks with your fingers.
Lie to me, and feel them cut in deeper
I’ve tried to keep the lines in line
but they all just dig in steeper and-
what I want you to do?
What I want you to do, is take this baseball bat
and swing.
With everything you’ve got
in one devastating shot
shatter. me.
Break my ice heart in a thousand falling pieces
a mist amidst you
like tumbling snow
I’ll fall apart all for you
and as I do
catch the snowflakes on your tongue
Every stupid quirk, triumph and sin
feel them fall against your skin
Just give it a second
and I swear they’ll melt right in.
But if you don’t like the cold
that’s
you know,
fair.