our hearts in poetry

we shred our hearts to ribbons
we spread them out across the sky
that we may yet outshine the stars
yes
that’s the point
that’s why we do it

we wanna either shine that bright
or die
or maybe both
but sure as hell not neither
yes
of course

I will always defend
ecstatic excellence
and principled failure
over practiced mediocrity
we get one life and
so settling is tragedy
a goddamned weeping shame

doing something terrible
just because it works
just because it gets you
a house and a car or whatever
it is no longer enough

doing something
that hurts you
or hurts someone else
makes you pretend you’re something you’re not
or forces someone else to do the same
it’s no longer enough
the world is too small now
the frontiers too exhausted
we’re shoulder to shoulder now
there’s no more of the legroom
that allowed us to be bastards
anymore

and the sky
the sky is so bleak
the stars are washed out by streetlights anyway
you can’t see the moon or the stars anyway
just the dim haze of street lights
glowing back down on us mockingly

we need to blaze out with honesty
burn out with earnest explosions
shred up our hearts into ribbons of light
give them something worth looking at
up in the night
again

this is what we’re charged with
even if it makes us broke
even if it leaves us alone
even if it kills us
it is worth it

it is maybe the only important thing left
that we can actually do
these days
with our hearts