"Sustenance"

For you,
“marriage” was a leaf of parsley
“future” an after-dinner mint
“love” a palette cleanser.

In your mouth,
they were decorative garnishes
sprinkled among our conversations
bright and pleasant-smelling and
easily mistaken for a full meal
little afterthoughts
with no nutritional value
occasionally sweetening the tongue
only to evaporate
the taste lasting long
after you were gone
leaving me
even hungrier
than before you spoke.