Some girls want
to be seen,
to be admired,
to be beautiful.

Some girls want
to see,
to admire,
to be surrounded by beauty.

Some girls want
to be held,
to be cherished,
to be protected from a scary world.

Some girls want
to hold,
to cherish,
to protect others from a scary world.

Some girls want
to be salivated at,
to be devoured,
to be taken by the animals.

Some girls want
to salivate,
to devour,
to take like an animal.

Some girls want
to be respected,
to be loved,
to be a shining example.

Some girls want
to respect,
to love,
to follow the shining example.

Some girls want
to be some girls,
some of the time.

All girls want
to be the girl they want
when they want.

I don’t want your love
To save me,
To hold me,
To quiet my screams.

I don’t want your love
To say it’s all right,
To rescue me,
To lighten my pain.

I want your love
To scream
When I scream.
To feel

The dark in my mind,
The fear in my soul,
The angst in my path,
The regret in my past,
The vice in my chest,
The garrote on my throat,
The fire in my lungs,
The glass in my heart,
The joy in my dance,
The beats in my song,
The yearn in my grasp,
The heat in my thrust.

So when it ends
(And it always ends)
I know your scream
Was my scream.

This is what
I want your love
To do:
Scream with me.

Be curious: there is truth in the lies we are told.

Beware: there are lies in the truth we believe.

It occurs to me that happiness is like a smoke ring;
As I grasp for it, grab it, and grapple with it, I destroy it.

But when I practice the right actions, and breathe, it follows;
Ethereally dancing, it slowly blends with the world.

And I take the next breath.

Pyrrhic victories keep me warm at night,

And surely tomorrow I will find more fuel.