Uprooted By Empathy
Staccato inhale
Eyes stinging like alcohol on a latent cut
Your kindness hurts
It bends back my arms,
My shoulders straining to remain attached.
Feeling trapped by my desire to be loved
And dreading its sequelae.
I fear your caring.
I am terrified to accept it.
Why, why, why, why do I want to retreat?
To be plucked out by a helicopter,
Immediately lifting, a forward disappearance
Whipping the air with its blades, drowning out your words.
I do not want to hear you.
I do not want to see your eyes;
Your brows meeting in the center.
I was unable to absorb the blow to my abdomen,
Innocently extending and retracting,
Not prepared for this moment.
Years of defense training, wasted.
Copyright © Amelia Anderson | Year Posted 2016
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