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Warning

I was born with birthmarks etched onto my skin

And I’ve acquired many scars

From all the battles I’ve fought with myself

But it wasn’t until you came marching into my battlefield

On your white horse

Disguised as my knight-in-shining armor

That I gained the title

“WARNING: MAY HARM YOU”

Put onto my suit.

 

I’ve received medal of honors

From barely escaping the war zone

But never have I ever received an award

As charming as this,

Especially when it came from

The self-proclaimed commander-in-chief of the red army.

All the false pacts we’ve written before

No longer matter,

And it only took a couple of months

For us to forget the promised truths.

You know I only meant to save you,

To leave you unharmed,

And you meant the same for me

But instead of standing side-by-side

On the trenches we’ve built together,

We landed on opposing fields.

I claimed you my savior,

Yet all I get is the title of WARNING?

 

We’ve written peace treaties before,

We were allies once upon a time,

And you thought I was the princess;

You wanted to swoop me up

And take me on a ride on your stupid horse that can’t even gallop correctly.

You thought I wanted the crown

And all the glory that came from being royal.

You didn’t want me up on the front with you,

You needed me safe, I know,

But I can fight for myself

Even if it’s you I’m up against.

So give me my glass slipper now,

I can put it on myself.

Give me a sword instead of this plastic tiara on my head,

I don’t need your hand to get me back up,

So don’t offer it

Unless you want it cut off

And returned to you on a silver platter.

 

It’s funny how things work out,

How they never go the way we ever want it to,

And I swear

I would’ve hid my armor a long time ago

If I hadn’t known that this would turn into an all-out war.

We slipped and tripped

And came running back full-force

But betrayal happens every so often,

Our backs were turned towards each other

And I could say the steel from this knife I hide under my dress

Slipped

Like we did

And fell onto your back

And I could say that I tripped

On these glass slippers you gave me

But they’re both false truths

Like the pacts we wrote before.

 

So forgive me

For being a back-stabbing princess

And go on,

Call me and label me as a warning

Stamped with your approval,

And I swear

I’ll wear it with

Honor and pride

Like how I wore your heart on my sleeve once upon a time,

And I’ll have it etched onto me

In permanent ink

So it can stain my pretty skin

Forever and ever.

Just like my birthmarks and my scars,

It will stay with me wherever I go,

Until the day I die,

Until the day I’m buried six feet under

With all of my past mistakes.

 

Go on,

Warn other people

About how much harm my presence will bring into their lives,

But it’s not like I never warned you either,

So don’t act like you were hurt the most

After the whole ordeal is done.

We’re both as bruised

And scarred as the other;

Don’t act like the victim here

Because you injured me as well,

Or have you forgotten?

Did you forget that you left me alone

Without telling me?

Did you forget that you gave me no explanation,

No written apology?

Have you forgotten that?

I can’t say that I blame you,

I would’ve left me too

If I had the chance,

But because you so blindingly placed this title upon me,

I will wear it honorably

Because of this war

Because of you

That way others won’t have to get into my battlefield

With false hopes

And wild dreams

About saving a princess dressed in all kinds of dresses.

I’ll meet them up in the front,

And they will see me

With this sword drenched to the hilt

And with my white armor

Stained scarlet

From the blood of those who’ve betrayed me

And they’ll see you as the warning of what they’re about to get into.

Request permission to use this poem
Written by
jaya-gumatay
American
Published
Apr 13, 2014
Lines·Words
114·716
Tags
#love#war#hurt#battle
Permission

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