An Unreciprocated Crush

There is so much room here in my chest for you;

My mother told me to vacuum before my guest arrives

but instead I grew sunflower fields along my veins

because I knew your heart,

because when I told you I had butterflies in my stomach,

you cried, and said we had to get them out right now

for they could still be alive.

There is so much room here in my chest for you;

My mother told me to dust off the shelves and the tables

but instead I directed rivers to flow through the spaces between my ribs

so you could have a place to swim.

I have made an inn that does not run out of space for you,

there are hundreds of rooms in my chest for you to lay your head,

all brimming with butterflies,

I just hope you don’t mind.

-anna sluder