I wanted to speak with this little voice
       to defend myself from having sinned.
Each word would then seek to destroy
      the lies they made about me and him.
But unheard, I was, amidst the noise
      so I prayed for serenity to settle in.
In the end, I made a choice
      to be silent, and just take it all in.

Look at the soft sad shape of her lips,
       how she screams from the inside
       as she only gave off a sigh.

Look at her modestly downcast eyes,
       how her tears welled slowly
       as she refused to cry.

Look at her pulsating wrist,
       how it weakens
       when she denies

That she’s looking back at you
      on a mirror
      full of lies.

"Hello, care to chat?"
We had no mutual friends.
Turn chat offline.

"So you like writing?"
You've read my About Me.
View his profile.

"How are you? Busy?"
You poked me.
I poked back.

"I just want us to be friends."
One pending friend request.
Confirmed.

"You have nice eyes."
He commented on a picture.
Like.

"Your recent status update,
have a problem?"
Sad smiley.

"You can tell me."
I confessed to you.
Post status: -feeling happy.

"Good morning pretty."
Long chat replies.
Heart sticker.

"I love you."
And I love you too.
Status: in a relationship.

"I'm sorry, I've been busy lately."
It's fine.
Status: It's complicated.

"I didn't mean to hurt you."
You should have thought about that.
Unfriend.

"Please forgive me."
Seen.

Like an onion, I had layers.
And you peeled me away, one at a time.

One layer off.
You saw my favorites.
The food and drinks I crave for.
The wall paint I wanted for my room.
The perky dresses, nail polish, knee-high boots.
And the spot I always prefer to be- on the front seat.

One layer off.
You saw my hobbies.
The words I stitched together.
The stars that formed our zodiac sign.
The wallclimbing, badminton, volleyball.
And the guitar strings that strum our lullaby.

One layer off.
You saw my dreams.
The plane ticket to Paris.
The thrill of a bungee jump.
The candlelit dinner, fireworks, dancing fountain.
And the license as a medical physician.

One layer off.
You saw my strengths.
The smile behind the false judgements.
The tears I fought back with pride.
The temperance, confidence, adjustments.
And the self-love I have strongly magnified.

One layer off.
You saw my insecurities.
The missing dimple on my left cheek.
The pimples on my forehead.
The bitchface, fierce stare, strict walk.
And this prominently thin-but-tall body figure.

One layer off.
You saw my regrets.
The kisses I could have refused.
The friends I thought were true.
The false assumptions, unmet expectations.
And the trust I gave to the wrong person.

One layer off.
You saw my secrets.
The punches I had to take.
The bruises I covered with my sleeves.
The lies, frustrations, disappointments.
And the brokenness suppressed in my memory.

The last layer, off.
You saw through me.
The anxiousness escalating slowly.
The exposure feeling uneasy.
I felt stripped, explored, unguarded.
And in my nakedness - you had to choose:

To love or to leave me,
For who I really am.

My body is a vessel.
I walked away from it at midnight.

I traveled to where you are,
Watched you sleep until daylight.

I listened to every sound,
Even the flicker of the lamplight.

Until I heard you say her name,
And it gripped my heart tight.

So tight, I never woke up,
Lost myself under the moonlight.

I was black. You were white.
We fitted perfectly like a zebra’s skin.

I was low when you were high.
In finding ourselves, we took a great spin.

I was hot when you were cold.
I helped you have some warmth within.

And in helping you, I felt drained.

I had shrunken when you grew bold.
All because of the assuming sin.

He was constant.
She was unpredictable.
He was rational.
She was emotional.

He was a dreamer.
She was a believer.
He was a talker.
She was a listener.

He was a critical thinker.
She was an avid reader.
He spoke in a bottomline manner.
She wrote in a metaphorical way.

He was a mechanic.
She was an artist.
He assembled guns.
She crafted poems.

He was a bike rider.
She was a composer.
He was skillful with his engines.
She was passionate with her songs.

He was an entertainer.
She was a public speaker.
He had tenacity.
She had authority.

He was firm.
She was flexible.
He was honest.
She was open.

He was a risk-taker.
She was adventurous.
He was a planner.
She was a goer.

He was happy-go-lucky.
She was often uneasy.
He was drink-and-be-merry.
She was live-life-and-be-happy.

Both responsible in their chosen field.
Both loud, but would sometimes prefer the solitary.
Both travellers, jokers, and crowd-pleasers.

Parallel, but not entirely the same.
Opposites, but not completely contradicting.
Complementary, but not dependent to each other.
Most importantly, loving, but not demanding.

He and She.
You and Me.