I.
See these marks on my fingers?
They're not from my bark
They're my bite's fight with dinner

II.
These cuts and bruises
Have calcium to blame
And the food my body refuses

III.
The scars on my middle and pointer
Remind me of the acid burn
That made my image so much lovelier

So much planning goes into
Events like these

Seating charts and color schemes
Catering and dress sizes
Music and a large centerpiece

Cheers to her!

What am I?
The cake on the table?
The bodies on the dance floor?

Here's to her!

Am I the veil on her head?
The lipstick on your neck?

I was probably just the ice on your car
I was probably just the tiny freckles on your arms

While you take her to bed
And I recall things left unsaid

I'll try to forget everything
Seeing that you don't need me

My porcelain skin is no match
For the velvety brown of yours
Your soft chocolate eyes are lovelier
While my greens are merely cold

And I should know better than to refuse
To wipe my face on the floor
I should be more of a lady (or a nun)
If I'm to be all you're asking for

You reference the way I was raised
A single mother and an only daughter
And you're sure that I will lead astray
Your potential grandsons and granddaughters

Know that your son is all
The good you exclaim him to be
But he sees the light in these witch's eyes
Where you see death and greed

I now understand that I will never
Be righteous enough in your sight
And it is because of your background
That you accuse and criticize

You will always be his mother
Who cares for him nonetheless
But I will stay his lover
Even while I don't pass your test

You're the evergreen beside my house
Standing tall and sure
Neither bending nor bowing
As the storm passes through

You're the first rain during a drought
Your streams reassure
Crystal water allowing
The old to change to new

You're the early morning sunlight
Peeking through the sheets
Turning skies from dark to light
Shaking the world of sleep

You're the quiet of the night
Steadfast and distinct
Whispering to me despite
The others fast asleep

My mother taught me
How to clean clothes
How to iron
How to fold

She showed me
How to clean the stains

I wish she would have
Showed me
How to take away
The stains made by you

The rips
The tears
The scars
And the blemishes made

In my memory
All because of you

I told the stars how lucky they were
To always have someone to look at

They were never alone
No matter where the earth was in space

I told them how lucky they were
To be associated with beauty

Because no one else is constantly told
How beautiful they are

But I know
Stars explode

And I like to think it's because they can't go on
With all the kind words spoken to them

Or maybe looking at someone but not being able to touch them
Caused the stars too much pain

Some stars become black holes
And I asked a dark star why it had become so

It explained that sometimes life
Makes even the brightest stars bitter

And being so positive for years and years
Had taken its toll

I wondered if the newly born black hole
Had any regrets on choosing the rest of its course

It read my mind and told me that
It wished it would have exploded into something new

Maybe to form new galaxies
Or to create new planets

Instead of ******* the life out of
Everything around it