“It’s Only a Crush” by Jackie Chou

It’s Only a Crush

You say you love me

But your downcast eyes say otherwise

They stare at the steam rising from your coffee

My words mere sounds and syllables

Floating in the flimsy air

They don’t get to your ears

Pieces that make up the mosaic of my life

Which you easily blow away

The word “love” worn casually on your lips

Like denim jeans

Tossed around before being discarded in the trash


Jackie Chou found a new purpose in writing poetry after her dream of becoming a lawyer was shattered by severe symptoms of schizo-affective disorder. Her free verses and short form poems have been published locally and internationally.