Conjured by Sarah Doughty
“I saw behind those sweetly-spoken words
and could feel the venom behind them.”
It was a calculated effort. A sly attempt to tear me down with no trace back to its source. A misguided lie and a perception of innocence. But I saw through it. I saw behind those sweetly-spoken words and could feel the venom behind them. And that was when I knew I’d caught you. That was when I realized an enemy was disguised as a friend.
© Sarah Doughty
2019
Karma is a powerful force.
“And it was then that I knew
what heartache and loss felt like.”
It was the silence. The empty feeling in the pit of my stomach. The undeniable feeling that I’d lost something significant. Something I couldn’t define or even name. But it was a gnawing ache that continued to grow. And it wasn’t until I’d lived with that feeling for what seemed like a lifetime that I woke in the middle of the night with the whisper of your name on my tongue. And it was then that I knew what heartache and loss felt like.
© Sarah Doughty
2019
Because I lost everything.
“There was no danger from my predator.
Because his heart belonged with mine.”
It was the fire. The flames that burned into my eyes, as if a raging pyre burned and smoldered in front of me, when there was nothing there but the stillness of the night under the full moon. My eyes, like mirrors to an unseen force, reflected my anger outward at the encroaching danger. With my senses heightened and a keen awareness of all that was around me, I was ready to face what awaited for me in the shadows. But I knew there was no real danger there. Not because he wasn’t a predator, but because his heart belonged with mine. That game of cat and mouse was a prelude to what would come after. The only question was who would win the upper hand.
© Sarah Doughty
2019
Game on, mister.
“When it comes to loving you,
I would risk anything to be with you.”
It’s the danger, you see. The kind that erupts across your skin like goose bumps. The kind that makes the hair on the back of your neck rise as if the adrenaline rushing through your veins sets off static electricity. It’s the way your pupils dilate and struggle to stay open as you try not to miss anything that might be lurking around you.
That’s what I feel when I’m around you. That danger. But I know the difference between being prey and being able to hold my ground by your side. Because you and I, we stand together. As partners. As equals. So when it comes to loving you, I would risk anything to be with you. For I am yours and that will never change.
© Sarah Doughty
2019
Forever yours to fight
by your side.
“Looking into his eyes felt like seeing infinity.
And I never wanted to look away.”
When his eyes drifted down to my lips, I could feel the burn of his gaze. I could feel the itch where his eyes touched my skin and it only made me want to taste him all the more. I wanted to feel his lips against mine like I spiked a fever and his kiss was the only remedy. But it couldn’t compare to the feeling of excitement when his gaze drifted back up to mine. In that look, it seemed like a thousand words were said without a sound escaping from our lips. Looking into his eyes felt like seeing infinity. It was then I knew, without a doubt, he had my whole heart for my whole life. I couldn’t help myself. I never wanted that moment to end.
© Sarah Doughty
2019
So please, don’t ever
stop reminding me
that we are infinite.
“You drew me in like a moth to flame
and I knew I’d never look back.”
This protectiveness I feel for you isn’t just something that happened at the flip of a switch. First, it was the way your eyes looked as the sun hit them, as if the light made them glow from within. Then it was you. Your bravery. The fierce determination running through your veins. The imperfect, vulnerable, yet fierce warrior in you that makes me want to stand by your side and fight your battles right alongside you. You see, loving someone goes beyond the word. You drew me in like a moth to flame and I knew I’d never look back. If it meant going to war or helping you reach up into the sky to pluck your dream from the universe to make it a reality, I will be there.
© Sarah Doughty
2019
I will always be there.
“No matter where you are,
know that someone is by your side.”
Of all the places we have been, all the things we have experienced — good or bad — I feel a kinship with you. I can feel the longing in your broken heart. I can feel the excitement and overwhelming joy when you realized you’ve fallen in love. I’ve seen tragedies. Experienced them. And I’ve lived. Just like you. So no matter where you are or where you’re going, know that someone is by your side.
© Sarah Doughty
2019
And I’m never leaving.
“I love you with everything that I am,
but do you feel the same way?”
Nostalgia takes over these days, it seems. Memories of what was. Memories of the way your hand held mine. The way your lips felt, or the way my skin tingled when we made contact. I even remember the way you once looked at me. And though you say you still do, I fail to notice it. Maybe it’s because I’m blind to it. Or maybe, I don’t see it because deep down, I question if it was originally a figment of my imagination. And that’s when my mind begins to scatter. When I begin to wonder if those really days weren’t as magical as I thought they were. Or worse, that maybe when you say you love me, it isn’t, and possibly never was, as intense as I felt for you. And just like that, the nostalgia turns from those happy, early days, to something darker. Something I can’t bear to look at too closely, because then, my fears might be real after all. That I love you with everything that I am, but you don’t feel the same way in return.
© Sarah Doughty
2019
I’m not sure I want
to know the answer.
“You see, I was never lost.
With you, I am home.”
It was the mischief in the air that night. The air, though damp and cool, was not enough to stop my meandering in the darkness. As I was guided only by the full moon above, like a beacon — a lighthouse on a foggy night, I followed the path ahead of me, unsure of my destination. But at the same time, my feet were sure with every step through the crunching of leaves and divots in frosted grass. It felt like coming home. And when I found you at the end of that trail, I knew I was never lost. Because with you, I am home.
© Sarah Doughty
2019
You are my forever home.
“So, please, I beg you.
Don’t ever let me go.”
This spell you put me under has left me wanting. For you. For your touch. To feel the heat rushing to the surface as my fingertips touch your skin. For the scent of you. That soothing scent of fall. For the sound of your heart beating as I press my ear to your chest. But most of all, I crave the feeling of being wrapped in your arms. The sense of peace and strength you offer when I have none left.
© Sarah Doughty
2019
So, please, I beg you.
Don’t ever let me go.
