I stood there with my heart in my hands,

A sacrificial offering to you.

It was a fragile, tender thing,

Yet I laid it at your feet…

Bared and exposed to you.

You said you loved me.

Did you mean those words…

You said I was too strong,

Too independent…

Like that was a bad thing.

It took me a long time to build that fortress around my heart.

Making it strong

Making it not feel.

But one touch of your hand, could set me on fire.

One caress of your breath along my neck as you whispered ‘I love you” in my ear, caused a tingle to run down my spine.

That’s all it took to shatter the fortress around my heart.

Now I lie here on the floor,

Curled around my shattered heart.

Trying to gather all the pieces together;

Trying to make it whole again.

Who will want this broken ugly thing?

Held together with bits of string and glue.

A chipped and broken plaything.

No longer of any use.

Do you see me?

Did you ever know me?

Well look closely next time.

What may seem strong and independent to you

is just…

a covering to protect a precious treasure

a mask I wear to disguise the pain that is left bare each time to walk out that door.

Did you look back as I lie there…

Shattered

Broken?

Did you even care?