FOR THE MEN THAT LOVED ME

So apparently, there was something about me
“It’s probably in your smile, your hair, or lips,” you said,
Sweeping me off my feet, killing me softly…
First love.
It was the: butterflies when your hand met mine
Love letters that I still look at and smile,
The innocence when you came to say goodnight
It was the: hugs that convinced me I could fly
Cause It WAS you and me against the world…
Then suddenly,
You didn’t know what you felt anymore
You just knew I was NOT who you wanted to show.
I wasn’t the girl with the silky hair, no.
I wasn’t her with the body of a goddess or,
Looks of gold, so naturally,
You let–me go.

But! Thank you!
For leaving behind my sense of prowess,
Strength of heart more than I had EVER known I could harness
The garden in me, blooming into the conscience
Of a woman; like a sky,
Far from starless!
Of a woman; like an ocean
Far from lifeless!
Of a woman; like a jewel
Far from worthless, in the eyes of men

Second Love.
It was; the way you knew exactly what to say
It was; your arms around my shoulders, letting me know I could stay
Under your wings, where I could feel protected
From those predators; from those who saw me as much less
It was, how you told me your heart beats only for me,
There was no place I’d rather be.
In fact, what was I thinking not have seen
That it was you I was destined for and not he?!
It WAS you and me against the world…
But somehow,
It got cold and you started to see the end
To us; to all that you’d had begun in the first place
See, it only mattered that I had given you all you asked for and didn’t forsake
What was my ‘duty’ to give, So I gave…
I gave away my right to know why I bled
Cut open once more by my very own razor sharp stupidity!
Oh, I then heard you loved not me but one of my girl friends
Oh, wait! You were now taking everything onto which I held?
Turns out, in the first place, we had never really met

But! Thank you
For reminding me that there was a greener side of the fence
For sending me off into courage,
Now I could stop waiting for prince charming already!
Now I could start building my own castle
Since Cinderella wasn’t here to tell me that this thing called love,
Is a hustle. And, noo, they ain’t loyal!
You pushed me back to the mirror
Helped me look deeper into my soul
To search the recesses of my insecurity,
Call out the little girl hiding there, and
Baptize her, warrior.

See, I could go on about the third, fourth and fifth
But no, I didn’t come here to be judged, I came
That I might testify to a truth that might already be cliche
Nonetheless; for what it’s worth, I’m willing to say
What didn’t kill me made me,
Strong enough to stand here,
Raise my hands and feel this.
So, Thank you!! To the men that have loved me.