My mother told me to
‘Find someone who we love as hard as you’
I listened and this is where it has taken me
An unwanted refugee of your heart
A cycle of piercing memories
Like my existence is for you to wear
And my soul you stole so silently.
I cannot speak what should be spoken
My mother tongue silenced by your words
When you burn me within your sweat-skinned cage
And then write love letters on my scars the next day.
The language of love taught me that it’s okay…
To accept the roses and ignore the thorns
To make love with a dead man’s scorn
To cross the ocean between war and peace
To replace ‘I love you’ with ‘help me… please’
And always, always expect the unexpected
Because one day your love letters may cease
So I’ll teach my daughter the forgotten language of Hate.
Hate is patient.
Hate is kind.
Hate never fails.
Hate never lies.
Hate is love…
Foreign, unspoken by your lips
Unreadable to your eyes.
Tags: FEMINISM feminist love Poem poet poetry poetrylover prose relationship sexual assault toxiclove women's rights writing