The crushed wing of a butterfly still inspires me to fly
It shows me not to take my own for granted

How many?
How many holidays are to be taken away?
Valentines day was once Lupercalia
A day to celebrate fertility in honor
Of the Roman Gods
Now it's looked down on
Called a consumer's holiday; A day of romance
Either loved or hated; stolen nonetheless

When I am asked how I feel about Valentine's day
I look at Christmas; Yule and Saturnalia
Easter; Ostara
And who knows how many others
If you are going to steal a holiday,
At least don't make it on the same day

It makes me think
Why am I forced to hide
On these oppressive days?
My religion has been demonized
Stolen from and misrepresented for so many years
Suffered in witch trials, burned and drowned
If we have done so much wrong
Then why are you stealing our sacred days?
Giving them new names, copying the rest

Our symbols, our holidays, our spells
All stolen
The cross, Valentine's day, a prayer

When I think about Valentine's day
I think about how much has been taken from me
And how much it hurts to hide
In the shadows of a vilified faith
'Do what you will so long
As you harm no other'

Our kindness has been trampled on
By the 'generous' faiths
With their arms outstretched
To ruin and take
Rather than forgive and accept
Forced into the shadows
To practice my religion
Wearing my symbols
Like chains of shame
Looking at my holidays
In envy and with heavy heart
Happy Valentine's.

I wish I could walk along the path you leave behind
Do the things you do to me that I'd never do to you
Say the words I know will hurt and cut you deep
So you can understand what it feels like to have
Those scars that run across your heart and weaken your mind

I'm jealous of how highly you think about yourself
How easily you hurt others without a second thought
How you can do whatever you want
Say whatever you want
And never face a single consequence

If I could walk a day in your shoes
I'd break a million hearts with every step
And when I'd get tired I'd have a glass of water
Poured from the ocean of tears from all those you've discarded

And I feel like I'm your ghost
Pacing in the steps of the one who hurt me most
Bathing in your legacy of tragedy
In all these memories I am searching for my remedy

But all I have found is a band-aid to rip off
A quick and momentary pain I won't remember once it's done
In my mind I shake the walls of insecurity and reminisce
About the times I was able to commit such crimes of passion
About the times I was stronger than the person that I am now
When I wasn't too scared to rip that band-aid off

I hear that love is the strongest blade
With the kind of strength that cuts through all that's wrong
And builds whole kingdoms from the rubble
But every day through lover's eyes
I watch it defile all perfection
And empires fall with every deception
All the dishonesty that is unburied
Teaches lessons you ought to learn before you're married
Hold yourself and don't look up
Eyes that search will surely find
Perfect love that masquerades with devil's at night
I find that within this life there are no gallant knights
True love never satisfies
A hungry heart that feeds off lies

I may not feel like I'm the prettiest girl in the world
But at least I know my heart needs the surgeries
Before the Doctors ever touch my face
And open me up like a game of operation
One more round of what's wrong with this chick
Fuel the world's desire for gossip, keep them in the loop
I roll my eyes at the social media craze
Before I cough out all my insecurity
Let me take control, heal myself from inside out
I'll pull myself back from deep inside
The chasms of all my heartaches and
Find my soul still swimming in
All my painful remedies that never let me down
As I let go of my thoughts of yesterday,
I find the beauty in my doubt

Letting go of my feelings for you
Making you smile
Protecting that fragile happiness
Being your friend
That is my favorite sacrifice,
And I'd make it again and again

Even if it feels like ice has covered
Every single inch of my skin
Like frostbite that covers
My heart, my mind, my eyes and ears
Shutting out every sense
That would bring me back
To my love for you,
As senseless as it may be

My love is too much
It's strong, careful, delicate and clingy
It will swallow you whole, keep you captive
And when you finally free yourself
That love will burn to ash
Like a moth that got to close to the flame
And I will be the one left keeper of the blame
Alone to hold back the tears in loves name

"I wonder what it feels like
To hold the world in your hands
And let it slip from your grasp"

Suppose I finally understand