When I was a young girl, I'd view this world through a lense
of awe and amazement,
and with outstretched arms I welcomed all it could give.
All the hurt so I could learn
contentment,
all the love so I could feel
shades of red and pink,
all the heartbreak so I'd acknowledge
my heart
and all it was capable of.

Nowadays, my arms are just wrapped around my own core so I don't fall away,
and burn marks litter my complexion,
other people's fingerprints pollute my heart
from where it was grabbed too tightly,
and no matter how much money I throw away on plasters
and aspirins,
I can't make the hurt go away.