Runner-up | The Vow

She wants him,

But she can never have him.

Despite the devastation,

She will survive— 

Content with the loss.

Simultaneously, the strength in her muscles, bones, and flesh

Is crumbling and weak.

The fresh air in her lungs has vanished

Into the surrounding thin air.

Never returning.

Never again.

Sitting there, motionless

In despondency,

She imagines horrible scenarios.

Thoughts of people hurting him,

Just so she can be his savior,

To protect him from the horrors in life,

Securing a place in his heart again.

With great imagination,

Despite societal expectations,

Their fate can be reversed.

The strength mustered within her is satisfied with the impossible.

If the heart can mend the scar tissue,

She promises him a lifetime. 

The woman suffers from imperfection.

That can be assured.

That she can make vows to —

The likelihood of another mistake.

But the most important vow that she will ever make

Is that she’ll never run.

The slamming of a door will shatter glass,

But the crack of light shining through the halls

Will reveal a hand reaching for his.

He will never be alone.

Never unsafe.

For she is here and always —

Even if it is in spirit

And her imagination only —

She is always his.