I don't claim to be the most beautiful for simply vanities sake
From my first breath of life I learned
That in this world my beauty is my worth
If I am not desirable, then I am nothing
I am beautiful because I have to be
Since that first breath of life
I was told that I was beauty, through and through
If I am not beautiful, then what am I?
What purpose would I serve?
If I am not the most beautiful, then have I lost my worth?
The diamonds on my skin
The blinding, dazzling layer of my shallow beauty
Hide the precious gemstones that cover my heart and run through my veins
For I am beauty, through and through

He carries my heart in the soles of his shoes
So when he's looking down it's not because he has the blues
I hold his dreams on my shoulders so when he's depressed
He'll have a safe space where his mind can rest

Eros shot his golden arrow and I'd been hit
Through his words the flame was lit
There was no negotiating it
Because bottling up your feelings isn't lit
As if all the planets had aligned
There was nothing left to be denied
But fear is like a heavy chain
How long can we allow it's reign to remain
Freedom beckons with loves lingering light
And with these feelings I take flight

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