Salt in My Chest

A poem for those who have loved deeply, and survived. But not without change.

There’s salt in my chest,
and it hurts to breathe.

Not the pain of heartbreak;
that would be too simple.
No, this is the kind that lingers long after you're gone.
It seeps into my bones and builds a home beneath my ribs.

You kissed me like a storm before it wrecks the coast.
You were reverent and hungry,
already knowing you’d destroy everything.

I let you. God help me,
I wanted you to.

You said my name like a secret,
like something forbidden,
but your hands never trembled
when you set fire to the parts of me that trusted you.

Now, every breath I take scrapes against the salt you left behind.
Tiny crystals of memory cut through soft places.

I taste you in my sleep. Not your lips,
but your absence, like saltwater on cracked skin.
A sting that comes only after the warmth is gone.

I try to forget, but the sea inside me won’t be calm.
It churns with what we were,
with what I wanted us to be, with the echo of you whispering
"I’ll stay" as the door closed.

There’s salt in my chest.
Heavy. Holy. Unforgiving.

Some nights,
when the world is too quiet,
I press my hand to my heart just to feel it burn.

Just to remember how it felt to drown in you.

Author's Note

Salt in My Chest is a dark romantic poem that explores the painful aftermath of love. This is not the kind that fades away; instead, it lingers in the body like a residue. Blending sensuality with sorrow, it captures the ache of longing, betrayal, and memories that refuse to let go. With ocean imagery and powerful language, the poem paints a picture of a love so intense that it leaves scars, yet is so unforgettable that it becomes sacred. It discusses the price of giving your heart to someone who doesn’t return it fully, along with the haunting beauty of what remains.

Reviews

[Fishysua]

Ash and salt
Beautifully made
I appreciate the use of dark metaphors
Love pain violence are the same

[Neha agrawal]

Thank you🙏

[Niti]

"You said my name like a secret,
like something forbidden,
but your hands never trembled
when you set fire to the parts of me that trusted you."

This line has all my heart.

[Neha agrawal]

Thank you very much☺

[.]

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! The pain in my heart grew stronger with each new word... I definitely feel like I've been left to drown in a salty sea. This is one of the most powerful poems I've read here. I am absolutely captivated. I had to hold my breath until the end, and by the end, my breath was starting to hurt. I'm starting to think that maybe I'm feeling this way because I've been repressing these feelings lately. When you drink so much of these salty tears, you start to suppress them and stop wanting to feel them, and I think I can't accept these feelings anymore. Believe me, it's much better to feel this pain and get through it than to bottle it up. Thank you so much for writing this. Your healed heart will thank you in the future, but these words will probably always sting a little. They're so powerful. 100 for sure.

[Neha agrawal]

Wow… I’m honestly speechless. Thank you from the deepest part of my heart. Knowing it resonated with you like that means everything. You put into words what so many of us silently carry. Sending strength and warmth your way.

[Chris Shaw]

Salt can sting like hell in an open wound, but it can also be a great healer. This poem touched me to my core in its rawness Neha. Well penned dear poet.

Chris

[Neha agrawal]

Thank you so much, Chris. Your words truly mean a lot to me.

[andrew mitchell]

A most enjoyable read so well written. Well done.

[Neha agrawal]

Thank you ☺

[Betty Hermelee]

Dear Neha
a very well written poem, dark and sorrowful, stabbing pain yet you managed to rise above it in a way that kept you alive yet still suffering…from this punishment….” there’s salt in my chest. Heavy. Holy. Unforgiving”….a stabbing yet beautiful piece
Warmly, B🌷

[Neha agrawal]

Thank you I am glad it resonated with you that way☺

[Betty Hermelee]

Most welcome Neha
Warmly, B

[Fabian G. Franklin]

It is said the amount of salt in a human tear is equal to that in a drop of seawater. Coincidence? I enjoyed the read.

[Neha agrawal]

Really I didn't know that thank you for sharing the fact and reading my poem.

[Julie McCarthy (juliesp..]

Absolutely beautiful
Loved it

[Neha agrawal]

Thank you🙏

[ETERNITY]

Neha agrawal Your Author's Note is as poetic as your poem. We are familiar with the ache of love unfounded.
Salt in My Chest is such a physical blow, felt by every reader no matter how unlearned or learned.
Salt is abrasive, it is used on tough hides of animals to soften the tanning when nothing else works.
Salt in My Chest incites salt, in its natural use, tearing away, eating at the heart. I have felt every line of this poem at some time. It heals, my sister. Such a beauty you have created!

[Neha agrawal]

That's true salt use in this world in many way for cruelty, for taste, for so many other thing we can't even imagine. Thank you for giving your time on reviewing my poem and appreciating my work I sm glad it resonates you in such a way.

[emmajoygreen]

Such a painfully honest poem, how you managed to complete it, I really don't know. Salt can be protective in various situations, here above you use it as a weapon. Your words show how it can create the worst overly used agonies. Agony could be the title of you poem; you write so brilliantly in clarifying but not over-stating the theme.

[Neha agrawal]

Thank you so much ! your words mean a lot. I'm really touched that you felt the depth of it. “Agony” might just be the perfect title.

[emmajoygreen]

You write beautifully.

[Neha agrawal]

Thank you ☺

[DIVYA]

Beautifully written Neha. The heartbreak you described in this poem is very tangible. It comes with a set of physical sensations and the metaphor of sal and sea was very effective in conveying the pain. Well done.

[Neha agrawal]

Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful words. I'm truly glad the metaphors resonated with you.