a story of redemption

Every slap you took

came with a whispered 

"this is because i love you"

After every cannonball of hurtful words thrown by way

you could only hug me tight and beg

"please, i'm only doing this because i love you"

And so that became my perception of love.

I stayed because I loved you.

But then I left you,

And the "I love you", turned into an "I loved you"

I started to love myself in a way that you never taught me to.

And I met someone,

who would treat me as if I were their only salvation,

simply because they love me.

So I left you because I love me.

And I found someone else who did too.