The cotton fluff from your sweater,
is stuck between my bitten down nails.
A symbol left behind from a night,
where my integrity was questioned.

Most of the marks you left are permanently scarred in my brain,
I bet your skin is tingling thinking of my touch;
scratching away at your flesh hastily.
The only reason you had to pull away,
was not because of my mantra that sounded so pleasant in your ears,
It was the pain that you couldn’t take;
though I was suffering a lot more.

You called me names because I was fighting for my safety,
the cruel reminders you hissed flooded my ears,
no one would believe me;
I’ll stay silent.

Your life is permanently etched onto your skin,
as faded colors melting like heated wax.

You're not who you are because of the markings,
the ink represents what you believe in.

The blank,
flesh canvas was provided to show off your art,
your story,
the life you have lived.

kiss your fist and punch me
hurt me harshly
make me bleed
rip my hair
shame me publicly
**** me shamelessly
bruise my skin so you cover up your lingering, gentle touch.
for i have loved you,
and heartbreak,
has been the worst pain of them all.

the term monster is jaded by experience.
a man in a torn mask,
wielding a knife is no longer a stereotype.
movies no longer scare you,
not when your own killer is down the hall;
stabbing away at your innocence,
stealing your purity,
hurting your very being because he can.

I have tasted fear,
Bubbling up my throat,
Wearing away the linings of my insides like a plea that I just can't manage to get out.
Something blocks it,
Courage.
It prevents me from yelling out,
Rather I push on,
I accept the awful taste in my mouth.

I have witnessed fear,
A sudden metallic feel,
Red slowly dropping onto the plush carpet,
Jagged breathing exposing the dark saturated mouth,
Clean the mess,
Cracked bloodstained lips wiped at like a messy chalkboard,
Erasing the anxiety away from the tip of my tongue.

I have heard fear,
Loud, languished cries,
Shrill screams like a school fire alarm reverberating down an empty corridor.
Shields rise up,
Connected to my clammy hands,
Sounds no longer penetrate my ears,
My internal drum stops beating to take a moments rest,
My heart beat is a loud mumble that is the only sound inside me.

I have felt fear,
Body tingling,
All over like a chilling gust of air rushing into a room.
It envelops me,
I can't move,
But my body shaking violently ,
Cease.
Accept,
Live in fear.