our curse - a love poem

i see the way you look at him,
holding his hand,
kissing him,
and i see  you’ve been cursed.

cursed to love a man you never truly loved,
cursed to lose the girl who gave you butterflies.
if you were a boy,
you said, so many years ago,
i think i’d want to kiss you.
so unsure of yourself in your sentences
out of fear of being cursed with a life sentence
damnation, you said.
but how could a love so sweet be so wrong.

how cruel for a sixteen year old girl to hear these words,
i cut my hair, 
i bound my chest,
i made myself a reflection of who the world wanted,
in order for us to be together.
i waited for you.

but time did not wait for us, my dear,
your parents laughed when you brought me home to meet them,
then their laughs turned to violence
when they saw us 
said we were cursed,
laying with the devil
they turned your bright green eyes into
swollen shades of blues and purples.

now, nearly twenty years later,
i see you with him,
saccharine smiles,
absorbing his touch 
like a reluctant sponge.
heartbreak is not nearly strong enough a word for this kind of pain.

my love,
we were never cursed,
the world was.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2024

Poem

Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.

Please Login to post a comment

St. James Avatar
April 15, 2026 at 6:20 PM
This is so truly beautiful, and it encapsulates the sort or religious influence and parental pressure so so well, you've told a whole story!
Greener Avatar
April 21, 2025 at 11:03 AM
Oh my dear, that was a journey through the pain of a world gone wrong, against those who love deeply, I enjoyed and loved it. Well done!
Get a Premium Membership
Turn off ads, get more exposure for your poetry, and get more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Diverse Voices: The Poetry of Human Rights and the Pursuit of Peace