the History of Tears

Wine has aged
mine eyes shuttered by the rushing of sallow liquids
you should have drank from that cup
when I first poured the alcohol.

The first tears that fell
were made of innocence learning hardship
and your wrinkled hands would never know my warmth
I was learning to be cold.

I called the unlucky fortunate
desperate to soothe my battered ego after too many wars lost
and told myself I was special
I never believe my own lies.

Cracked land was beautiful
sweltering heat caused the ages to swell in heavy waves
I lost my childhood back where you first kissed my brow
and you said you loved me.

Poison sipped is poison not yet consumed
you didn't understand the bitter taste that stuck to your lips like honey
when it had cooled I warned you
the fire would not be put out by your will alone.

And now that I still stand here
my first tears long dried
More have fallen over the years, many stories lost in a sea of salt and sorrow
but the sorrow is dulled by its own impact
and the salt will dry and turn to white sand
and when I am dead, no one will know where it came from.