Today,
I was called into the counselor's office
Immediately I knew the reason was you
You spoke of the things I said and did
And the pain I have caused you over the past few days
But I am not without my own
This flame within burns bright and wrathful,
Something I refuse to control
You, my old friend
Have been burned

I have played the victim so elegantly
They come to you and ask why you would treat me so
You give them a reason, one which I validated
Oh, they are fools
Because our friends are loyal to me first

You would not look me in the eye as I called you out on your *******
You wouldn't even own up to it
I, for one
Will always speak the truth
I know my mistake and I happily take ownership
I will own my words
I meant everything I said about you and our situation

Girl,
Look me in the eye when you lie

the beauty that is more than skin deep
is the beauty of her ocean eyes
that swell and sway
and open to raw divine innateness .
Beauty is in her gentle steady hand and in her open smile.
in the depths of her buoyed soul
so full it leaks from the cracks in her rib cage
onto the pages of her skin
leaving every bit of her heart on her sleeve on purpose.
feminine and imperfect
pink and smudged  
open and raw
beauty is more than skin
take a look within yourself
look at your mother
your cousin
she is loveliness
exterior beauty is bliss,
but a kind soul is wonderful

You make me feel higher than the sun
And more beautiful than the moon
Do not cry my dear
For I see you.
I see your flaws and I know your pain
And I love you all the same
In times of doubt and of times of joy,
You are my rock
You are my strength
And for you,
I shall be the same.
You may lean on me in times of trouble
You may cry on my shoulder
Come to me in times of elation, for I shall laugh with you
I will lift you up and hold you steady,
Just as you do for me

My love,
Build a home in the hollows of my heart
I will not forsake you

I was 11
You were 14
I was 11 and you were 14 and you took advantage of me
I loved you more than I loved myself and you took advantage of a school girl's crush
How dare you
You stole my first kiss and you stole my innocence
Now, I hunt men that are like you
Cold and unforgiving
Heartless and cowardly
You wouldn't even look at me

I remember sitting in your bedroom
You would play video games while I watched, content
You would ignore me so that the attention I did get would feel special
You manipulated me
I hate you

But I am glad for this experience
You taught me to be careful with my heart
I am cautious and love halfheartedly
Never again will I fall victim
But I'd be lying if I said there isn't a week where I don't think about you
There is not a man in the world that I don't compare to you
If we had met now, would I still pick you?

Now that I value myself, I don't think I would.

Be gentle with me, I beg
My skin burns with adoration
Your touch feeds these flames
Pause and breathe
Lungs of hopeful dreaming
I feel safest in the dark
Where I can see
And you get lost in shadows
Fingers search for souls
I am on fire, do you not see
You are cold like ice

My daddy says he loves me
And I believe him
He keeps me level and holds me down
And in return I give him everything
Not just my body but my all
I give him the thoughts that keep me up at night
I give him my baggage and he helps me carry the weight
We work in tandem
For him, the world
For me, his heart
His heart is more precious than any sum of money
But,
He does not understand my sadness