A gleaming golden knot

10-karat gold, a cold

gleaming chain of rope woven links

that she began when she grabbed my life

and linked it to her own

voiceless then,

until the end I followed and

was strung by hand (hers)

through oiled cloth

a decade long

for miles and miles

her laughter lit the chain afire

a burning pit

pure gold drip, a copper core

it was never good enough

I know, I swore

promised I was better, broken

harder, colder,

an alloy that held

bitter words

til brittle snapped

should have held your hand

reciprocated

my fault, your fault

our metal chain became a brand