Mine Alone... Poem by RIC BASTASA

i give my heart
what a sentence misused
by myself
years ago,

if i did give it to
you what was it that
was left of me
was nothing but guesses
and perhaps even
the logic of misfortunes

i should have given you
only my thoughts
free from the pains of
my feelings,

which i think i must
have realized
and thus i have changed
and so even without
your permission
i had taken my heart
back and placed it
where it must belong...

it is mine and mine alone
and if i am hurt
i hurt it myself...