i look at you
and i can see it
in your face
you think you hide it,
but i see you

i see the hurt
the dark circles beneath your eyes
and the quiet plea
dancing on your bottom lip,
too afraid to be voiced
too afraid to be heard
because you’re too afraid
of being hurt

and i just want to take you
and wrap you up in my arms
hold you, console you
tell you things that you’ll believe,
but you don’t seem to believe
anything, anymore
because you have been deceived
too many times

so i’ll just look at you
and see the pain in your fake smile,
and i’ll smile back

and i’ll hear the attempted deception
when you tell me that you’re just tired,
and i’ll say me too

i know you’re broken inside

violets are blue,
and so are you