Hydrogen
by Janet Kuypers
from the “ Periodic Table of Poetry” series
when I thought of our relationship,
when I thought of your relationship to me,
I thought of a molecule of Hydrogen:
how you were afraid of me, but also
how you were so obsessed with me…
and although you always kept your distance,
you were always revolving around me.
and when we finally eventually fused together,
you were like a Hydrogen bomb:
forcing me to push away everyone I loved,
forcing me to hurt everyone close to me.
and that is when I snapped and lost it,
because I couldn’t let you use me like this.
I couldn’t let you cause so much destruction.
I couldn’t let everything I valued be destroyed.
I know it was a basic attraction with us,
but although you might not have liked it, I think
it was better when you just kept your distance.