my heart can sometimes seem dry and empty
i shouted out “don’t fall in love with me!” as a warning, you know
that i won’t bleed no matter how much you stab me
so slicing your own heart in two and giving me a half seems
like a horrible misunderstanding
my friend heard me shout and came to hold me
i whispered in her shoulder a few things i fear
(how i can’t wrench emotion from my dried-up heart
how trying takes up the energy i need to get out of bed)
and soon, i felt rivers of tears down my shoulders,
my arms, in the crook of my elbow,
i whispered “you have so much love, my friend,
and you just give it away”
as her tears fell on me, like offerings to the dirt
perhaps i could absorb them to feel what she feels
"don’t cry for me," i said.
"i don’t cry for me."