the reason that iron rusts
is due to ionization
water
iron
and
oxygen
collaborating to corrode
until eventually the iron is gone
this will only happen
in iron and alloys of iron
it does take time
and gentle disintegration
a relationship built on
water
mixed
with iron
and set to dry
leads to inevitable destruction

Q: so why even put them together?

it happens at times
on accident
a bicycle getting left out in the rain
multiple times over a period of years
tends to gather rust

other times neglect is the source
of the rust
a railroad tie on a discontinued line
left over many years untraveled
parts of which are made of steel, an alloy of iron
will rust

Q: and how is this relevant to us?

our relationship can be likened to
the occurrence of rust
(a gentle disintegration)
but we are not rust out of neglect
or out of an accident
but rather we are rust
because it is inherent in our
nature to do so together