Bleeding Mental Health Issues Like Water From My Eyes

‘You’re a bad person’ my heart whispers into my soul,

I know I want to cry back

I know I know I know,

But my throat closes and my lips bleed

These people around me drag lie after lie from my aching teeth

‘You’re worth more,’ they say

‘Yes’ I reply with my sore tongue

‘I’m worth more’ I repeat as my eyes start to weep.

Their butchered hands caress my throat

But dark bruises and harsh fingernails are left in its place,

A whimper is torn fresh from my lips

As the hand grips tighter

Squeezing, squeezing

As that voice gets louder

I’m bleeding, it’s my fault I’m bleeding.

They whisper seductive nothings into my ear

About pills and concoctions that can cure me,

Cure me even though I’m not broken,

I’m not broken just frayed at the edges,

Yet she touches my cheek and smiles at the blood

In her hand the words I used to destroy myself,

She’s raising her hand and the words scatter and float around me

‘These words are meaningless’ she murmurs against my ear,

‘They aren’t’ I want to say

They mean so much to me –

But I can feel them slide across my skin,

Their edges slicing into my thighs

‘All they do is hurt you’ she trembles against my cheek

And all I can do is scream as my heart hammers against my chest

Please don’t take them away.