"Aspartame and Separate Ways'"

BY DAN ELIAS BLISS

I rub my thumb over your hand 

while saying nothing, delicate 

like it’ll add hours to the days.

Feet in a pool so small there are no waves,

bottle with the label peeling away 

passed between us, the chaser

cans of artificial sweetener. 

You smirk when I break silence 

to say how much I’ve hated home, 

a town only good for killing youth,

growing only comes by getting out. 

Separate skylines waiting on us 

when we go, I’ll remember 

we were always almost 

just enough for love.