The Death of Love

A poem in free verse

And even though you were my lover You were an adversary An enemy out to defeat me An assassin out to kill me. But I was no less.

I was a sadist Holding the love you had for me Like a whip over your head Choking you with it Killing you (Killing it?)

And then you came knocking A ghost knocking over our framed pictures On the mantelpiece. On the rainy nights I worked in the library, On the quiet weekend nights, I sipped wine and cut vegetables With your old knife.

You slip your phantom hands against mine And mine slip against the cutting board Red blooms over the onions Red over the floor On the sink.

It will be a hungry night; or Has it been like that for nearly a week now? At night, fearful arousal comes In the form of your ghost Standing in the corner of my room (Our room?)

What do you want? ‘Simply to haunt you forever’ I turn to the other side And a weight settles on my back Cool legs entwine with mine. A hand climbing my arm Is a caress.

But when you keep it Moving upward still I am not as sure. (What are you doing?)

As you turn me and wrap your hands Around my gossamer neck I ask, Forever?

A smidgen of pain blooms across my chest As you answer, forever, my love.

Death.

Nayanika Saikia graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and was also a Dean’s List student. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree and is also a Booktuber and Bookstagrammer. She can often be found on her Instagram account Pretty Little Bibliophile. You can support me by Buying Me a Coffee. To get regular updates and amazing content, sign up for my newsletter!