Rip me from the *****
That nourishes me

Separate me
From safety

Deposit me in
Whirlpools of unfamiliarity

Stare down at me
With cold eyes

Breathe the air that floats between us
As if you are more deserving of it

And then you
Will cause me to feel
Shame

Take me to the playground
And drop me in
Circles of torment

Expose me
De-clothe me

Ridicule me
Pinch me and scrape me

Hurl your
Bullying fists

Because the heart you possess
Is that of a frightened child

Because you perpetrate
That which you dread

Shame

Though hot blood pumps
Through your temples
Thumping like a kettle drum
As you stand on the precipice

Though you strut as champion
Of a small world
Master of
A frail castle

In your bed
White fever  
Grips your throat in the middle of the night

And bad dreams
Clutch your organs
Piercing them with fire

And you feel

Shame

The quivering impotence
Of being the one who
Shames
Others

And the emptiness
And the loneliness

Are more awful
Than the temporary relief
Of the bullying

For you are alone

And you carry
This great weight

Until one day
You unpack
Your burden

And ask
Why?

Why do I do this?

Why am I alone?

Why?