He Is Like

*Selected to be published in Sanskrit Literary-Arts Magazine: April 2010

He was like that kid that fell and scraped his arm...
He was like that boy that got stuffed in his locker by bullies...
He was like that guy that lost an arm wrestling contest...

He was like the sailboat that lacked the wind to continue...
He was like the water in the dam that no longer flows...
He was like the car going 55 that suddenly crashed off the side of the road...

He was like a candle that got blown out...
He was like a shovel that could dig no deeper...
He was like a blade of grass that was picked and disposed for no reason...

Yet

He was like a bird that would die so you could eat...
He was like a piece of wood taking the burn so you could stay warm...
He was like a punching bag willing to yield the pain so that you could get stronger...

He was like a garage that would take being weathered just to keep you protected...
He was like a crayon that would let you draw with your imagination...
He was like a book allowing you to learn as much as you applied...

He was like the directions you could have read first before using...
He was like the staple that only knew how to hold it together...
He was like the ribbon in your hair that allowed you to look better without covering anything up...

And

He was like that smile on your face when you first fell in love...
He was like that feeling in your heart when you trusted that instead of your mind...
He was like that calculator that usually gave you the right answer...

He was like the puppy that got older and lost appeal...
He was like the prized possession that you lost in the fire...
He was like the stock you sold because it was losing you money...

He was like the pillow you held for comfort...
He was like the yo yo that you dropped but came right back...
He was like the insurance company, being there for you if something went wrong...

But

He is like a blank check you accidentally threw in the trash...
He is like a new escalator but you would rather take the stairs...
He is like a lucky shirt you gave away that just turned lucky...

He is like that guitar with new strings that you traded...
He is like that important class you skipped because it wasn't mandatory...
He is like that long line that you left when they were letting everyone in a minute later...

He is like a hidden bridge to a paradise that you imploded...
He is like a song that used to annoy you but now it's a timeless classic...
He is like a plug you pulled right when the coma was almost over and survival was promising...

He...
Is.