A/N: Ironically, "To Write Love On Her Arms" is an anti-self harm project, so I apologize for the inaccurate portrayal of the phrase. This piece was in no way intended to defame the project, its founders, participants, or purpose. Thanks for reading, and again, my apologies.
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To write "love" on her arms
Is to disregard
The long red welts,
Stark, swollen, pretty
—Against her dark skin.
To paint "love" on her skin
Is to ignore— yet, to appreciate
Her every scar, mark, bruise, flaw...
The injustice she's endured over time.
To place "love" on her lips
Is to kiss away
Every lie, every excuse she's had to make
For the sake of her life,
So that she wouldn't die
At the hands of the ones who claimed to "love" her.
To swap "love" for her pain
Is to understand
That today,
Her wrists burned.
They tingled and itched
And screamed for her blades
—But she'd long since thrown them away.
To write "love" on her arms
Despite her struggle
Is to realize
That the urge never left
So she punched a wall
And split her knuckles...
But the pain didn't last long enough.
—M.
11/11/2019
YOU ARE READING
In My Head
PoetryI wish I could call this poetry, But even that Would be pushing it Wouldn't it?
