Alone

He says he is lost without you,

He loves you, he needs you,

that you must never leave him.

 

and yet, he wants to change you

To tame you

To turn you into one of those women 

To make you more acceptable,

more normal.

 

You feel like he wants to swallow you whole

Or perhaps make you into a cloak,

spun from the finest silk,

so he can wear you

like the face he shows to the world

 

But it is not your destiny to be this.

It is not your purpose

 

He can see you

He knows what you are

And he has the key,

but he will not use it,

 

Instead he will use an axe to break you.

Into so many small pieces

That you will scatter everywhere

you will wonder who you are,

and if you will ever find yourself again

 

But you have been here before.

You have seen this place already

 

It is like a strong wind,

filling your ears so you cannot hear,

and your mouth so you cannot speak

it is wrapping your hair around you

like some kind of shroud.

Whipping your arms and your face

Shielding you from what is real.

 

And so you run

as fast as you can

with your arms outstretched.

 

You are running, alone

Fast, like a wild animal,

Into the moon light and the shadows it casts

Into the madness that surrounds the night.

Into the hidden places.

Into the darkness.

 

So you can be alone.

Reviews

[SleeplessVolcano]

Touching piece......yes, people do try to change us, and sometimes inappropriately so, buf compromise is one of the building blocks of any longterm relationship......

You stirred some great thoughts on relationships with this poem.....:)

There is something about the "what about me?" principle so prevalent in first world countries which may unintentionally have ensured generally shorter relationships, because individuals with this mindset get into relationships to receive and not to give.

Granted, in many stable but unhappy relationships, women tend to feel marginalized, because they sometimes also have a permanent job while managing the household. They tend to give and give and give without experiencing proportional receiving. Is that unfair? Sure thing. But the other extreme - being overly demanding in a relationship - can have a similarly deterimental effect.

To find that loving "both-parners-give-equally" sweet spot is probably the holy grail of long-term relationship bliss.....

Thank you for stirring these thoughts....:)

[Esther Calder]

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, its fascinating to get your perspective on my writing.