Hello PoetryVoting

Vote

Voting-Boards

Home

HomeFollowingInboxNotifications

Read

ReadLiftedFeedsHeartedHistoryMy poemsNew poem

Explore

ExploreOrbitsWordsTagsClassics
Log in
0
Stars
0
Embers
0
Alerts
0
Inbox

Vote

Voting-Boards

Home

HomeFollowingInboxNotifications

Read

ReadLiftedFeedsHeartedHistoryMy poemsNew poem

Explore

ExploreOrbitsWordsTagsClassics
Log in
0
Stars
0
Embers
0
Alerts
0
Inbox

the illusion of permission

i scold myself for getting too attached;

i hate myself for loving too much;

i want to hurt myself when i get to the point

where i am scared of you leaving.

i will push you away before i need you

but i am afraid it is almost getting to

that point.

will you leave or

will i have enough courage to let

you stay?

what does it mean to love someone without

the fear of them leaving?

if i hurt myself, will it scare you away?

if i hurt myself and don’t tell you,

who and what would i even be

trying to protect?

when you say you’ll be right back,

i know what you mean to say is,

you’ll be back eventually.

whether that is hours or years,

there is no way to know for sure.

and that is why i look away and whisper

“okay.” because my need to be loved

and my fear of abandonment

are always at war

and looking you in the eye

is sometimes too painful

than me just saying “okay.” and letting you leave

with or without the illusion

of my permission.

Request permission to use this poem
Written by
lyra-brown
Canadian
Published
May 29, 2014
Lines·Words
30·190
Permission

Request to use this poem

Tell lyra-brown how you would like to use it. We review requests before forwarding them.

AboutBlogFAQPrivacyTermsContact
© 2009-2026 Hello Poetry/v27.0 by @eliotyork
Explore
Hello PoetryVoting
Write