my brain
whispers knives

“leave now,”
it says,
“before they see
the cracks,
before you break
them too.”

it tells me
they’d be better off
without me
a storm
they don’t need
to weather.

and even when
i know it’s a lie,
even when
their arms
hold me
like i’m worth
something

the voice still screams,
and my mouth
itches
to spit poison,
to push them away
before they leave me.

i’m learning
to hold my tongue,
to hold my heart,
to quiet the noise
that tries to pull me under

but some days
i still feel
too broken
to stay.