i loved a man once
who never loved me back
but he said he did
but looking back on it
i think that
he loved feeling powerful
loved feeling strong
by making me feel
small
which he loved to do
every chance he got
i would mark him with kisses
but he would mark me with
purple bruises
that weren't as pretty
as the stamps that
i left
on him
and i thought
that this love
was the love i deserved
which did more damage to
my mind
than his
fists
ever did.
-n.c
