a smile --- like a star
fools only from afar

He likes to collect feelings
the angry ones
the sad ones
the happy ones
His mind grows heavy
with this adamant passion
He sleeps knowingly
and without peace
as if he can sense the bad
creeping around him
ready to pounce
You watch
wishing
you could help
wishing he could know
that he's safe
because no matter what
you'll always protect him.

Girls of greatness must make haste,
for men of the very same stature start up a few pace!

The bad man came at night,
his figure drawn out,
looming over.
He eclipsed the moon,
pushing onto you a scratchy shadow,
the darkness put its hands over your body.
You cry out to someone, but the darkness has its hand over your mouth.
And as the darkness encases you in its skin crawling madness,
a light in you dies.

I could never love myself through the male gaze,
every part of me dissected into something that is nothing
objectified and dismembered into significantly insignificant categories
criticized, and ostracized from humanly functions
only to be put on display
as a mannequin.

He grabbed my thigh
I removed his hand --- I had to try
he just made his grip fortified
what did I expect --- he's a bad guy
but now my interest is bone-dry
I'm leaving him behind, along with his lies
always visiting with black eyes
always something gone awry
I'm sick of having to pry
you continued to pretend to clarify
your dumb alibis
baby,
bye-bye

men down the alley
don't care for the person
that they hunt
they care for
the prey like manner
of the scared