Because You Love Me
Location
Because you love me,
You want to manufacture your own version of me under the guise of “improvement.”
Force me into makeovers to fix the scrunch on my face at the word mascara
And try to cake foundation over my opinions.
Layer rose-colored guilt trips over my closing eyelids
As I attempt to convince myself I’m enjoying this.
Because you love me,
You’ll put me through friendship boot camp
And torture me with humiliation to make me a more valuable soldier
In the fight against my free will.
You’ll train me with knife threats and needle tests
Then call me thin-skinned when I dare to bleed.
Because you love me,
You’ll treat your abuse like a sport
And my pain as your trophy.
You’ll celebrate when you leave me beaten and broken on your bedroom floor,
Keep score with purple and blue against my skin
And listen to the crowd cheering as I struggle to breathe under your strength test.
But if that’s what your love is, I’d rather be lonely.
Because I love me,
I'll find a friend who doesn’t lecture me when I’m under the weather
And doesn’t try to rain on my parade.
Who gives me rainbows to lighten up my life
Instead of sending hurricanes so they can rebuild me
And don’t give me cold fronts when I get too bright for them.