I am holding onto the thorns of the rose,
It pains me, I bleed, I cry.

It pains me, I bleed, I cry,
Yet I am still holding onto it.

I am so bewitched by its beauty,
That I didn't notice it slowly withering,

I was so into loving it,
That I didn't notice, it isn't immortal,
And it will wither,
Breaking my soul.

It pains me, I bleed, I cry
Not because of the thorns but it withering.

Just as it,
I was so into loving him,
I didn't notice his love withering,
I forgot one's love isn't always immortal as mine is.
I didn't see him leave.....
Breaking my soul.

It pains me, I bleed, I cry
Not because him leaving me is painful,
But him not loving me as I love him is.

Still hurting, still bleeding,
Still reeling, still feeling.

Drowning in self-pity,
Confronting reality,
Where not everything
is easy.

Hopelessly broken,
Trying to find a way
To pick up the pieces.

But he keeps falling
Behind, and left
Oh so traumatized.

Shaking, trembling,
Unable to align as
The pieces fall and
Say their goodbyes.

He realizes
He's got to let it go
Or risk being
Left behind.

Left on the floor bleeding
Sitting in the shower crying
As a child never understanding
Waking from sleep to a beating
Bleeding from head to toe
Wanting to know where the hell you go
Leaving the house to let the abuse happen
At 5 had to protect my sister
Stop his *** abuse against her
Getting chased from the home
Being shot at wishing he was just gone
Guess you just didn't want to be alone
But what you let him do was just wrong
Left on the floor bleeding
Sitting in the shower crying
How could you let this happen

Written by
Michael Matthews

Is it physical
Is it emotional
Is it metaphorical

Does it matter
Because in the end
It still bleeds