Things They Take Away

I know that his relations were projections of my own perversions,
that her assessments were figments of my own imagination.
I know I needed to scream, “No,” at all given moments,
and that hoops to jump through were black and white though changing every day.

I know that boys own the language, and smiles mean, “Come hither,”
that eye contact means, “I promise,” and that what I mean means nothing.
I know my words are confusing, my affection is toxic, 
my friendship seducing, and that my heart is destructive.
I know that they can’t help their love, and that on connection, I should give up
and wrap my strengths and eyelashes in something wet and cold.

But I know that he moved on 
without me making him respect his own boundaries, which were never my own.
I knew I was never responsible for what I couldn’t do.

Read More »

one-way streets

You’re walking on eggshells, and everything you do to try to make it better backfires,
since some people don’t want to be satisfied.

Vindictive vendettas taken out on you,
like some people need something to be mean to,

and if they see you as a person, you can’t be their thing,
so they call you a problem and use you for their pain,

when their hate is their own fault,
and there’s nothing you can do

to make someone understand what they choose not to-Read More »

Love you forever

You called like a god, celebrity
or college freshman,
so I put my Nair down, wrapped a towel around my shame,
glued my wet ear to the fragile phone, said hello
instead of, “Why me?” and let you worship, effuse like I
was way more than the wallpaper at my brother’s parties.

I’d been the entertainment once, back before the parties-
whispering nicknames and manipulations, like a kid sister alone can.

That was back before you, drivers licenses,
meet ups. But you were not before forsaken plans,Read More »

Unfriending People

How does he love you? He counted the ways,

but I don’t know many ways to say
to you, “Love me.”

“…love me, say that you love me…”
Come back to-
Come to me for first of times.
Well, you can stop not loving me now…
Can stop doing all of the things that you do!

Not paying attention, not first tuning in.
To not respond. Not care. Not like.
Never be curious. Never look up.
Not see. Not ask. Not tell. Not try.

Anyone! More, you only ones- I don’t think that this hope will die.

Oh, but I trust that this dream would dim,
if I would rest

and turn out your light.