Title: things you used to know
Fandom: Guardian
Rating: G
Length: ~150 words
Notes: I haven’t written a poem in decades and I didn't intend to any time soon, but I gave this prompt to ranalore yesterday, and today this happened. (Apparently I’m subconsciously going for another “8 works in 4 media” badge or something?) Anyway, posting this now before it eats any more of my life. Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan. Pining. Set early in the show, with implied spoilers to episode 34/35; 1st & 2nd person POV what is happening to me; a certain amount of loss and bitterness. Also for the FFW Bingo prompt “Role Reversal”. No warnings.
Summary: (See the title.)



things you used to know

1.
How to let a calm night settle
like moth wings on your lips.
When you asked about me,
your moonlight smile
invited
my reply.

2.
Who we would be.

3.
How to love me. Yes, and that, too:
how to love me. (But did you know
your need was nine-tenths mine
reflected?)

4.
Your own importance; you were careful
with the heavy round weights
of your words. You passed them
like full bowls of water
to my parched self,
gracefully, not spilling a drop.

After drinking,
I piled them high
and made a lookout, climbed up;
the world and time stretched wide around me.
I spread them out to make a bed
and woke refreshed.


Now

all your questions have a point,
scalpels
aimed to slice
my skin so you can see
inside. That I bleed is incidental.