When you treat me like that
I feel like
a wrung sponge.
When you’re cold and hard
where I’m soft
I feel cut
When you press against
my skinless nerves
I feel annihilated.

When you’re cruel like that
I feel helpless
When you’re indifferent
I feel tears.
When I give you my heart
and you give me your back
I’m just sorry for whatever I did
and I love the thing that hurts me
and I
I don’t know
Come back please?
What can I do?

When I hurt like I’ve
never
been hurt before
then I’m small, confused
like a child again
(though never,
oh never
angry at you)
and I’m in your hands
which don’t feel me there
and I’m only the part of me that’s crying.

This pain—
it’s such a
peaceful pain—
so quiet
so tender
so deep and raw
and I love you so terribly
it’s better to feel hurt
than angry or bitter
or resentful.

And it must be me
All in this head
oh what have I done
oh what can I do?
to keep you from
this thing in myself
that is hurting me
When you hurt me I feel
I feel
I feel
I feel...