Stitches

A smile lies forced upon my lips
No one sees how it takes its toll
On my battered soul and heart, leaving a taste of acid
Upon their black, quivering body;
With every step I take, I fall.

The pain floats over my mind every second,
These hurt feelings registering in every nerve
As if a dagger driven
Into my arm and dragged down;
A river of crimson regret laced with betrayal
Coloring the floor.

A heart broken so often it is deemed irreparable
Sinks to the bottom of an ocean of tears,
Thread and stitches floating to the surface
As it is left to face its devastating fears
Of letting a lover see all sides of its scars and crumpled dimensions.

My eyes fight to stay open and alert,
However bloodshot and sore, they are
Determined to find light in a cruel world;
I tremble at her words of love and admiration
As the tears well and spill over the rims,
From fear of ruining the brightest
Thing to come into my life, and from the beautiful
Feeling it resurrects in my frigid, empty chest.

She stitches the wounds closed time after time,
Her efforts comforting to my insane mind,
Her love pulling my heart out of an abyss
And holding it safe in strong hands.
Though painful at times, good and bad,
She is the reason I still breathe and try
To face the world without falling
To tortured pieces.