Chasing Shadows

I don't understand why you run from me,

I've tried to make sense of it all.

I've offered excuses and stood by your side,

But now I've grown accustomed to your evasion.

Your face has become a blur,

I don't know how you truly stand firm.

I don't provoke or leapfrog over boundaries,

I respond and engage like always.

Yet, at the first sign of confrontation,

You sprint away, avoiding the truth.

You make it seem like I corner you,

But I'm starting to see through this false facade.

The illusion of power you demand,

The fear that seems to consume you.

Does my pure heart make you tremble?

Do my direct requests make you uncomfortable?

Do I strip away your armor effortlessly,

Making you vulnerable without any struggle?

Am I capable of truly seeing you,

While you hide behind growls and empty bravado?

Do I scare you? Do I expose your weaknesses?

Am I such a threat that you try to break me?

Despite my non-aggression and respect for you,

You don't realize how much I care.

You fail to see the lengths I go to protect you,

You don't understand the sacrifices I make.

I'm beginning to realize that you don't truly want

To know the depths of who I am beyond the surface.

There's a side you choose to ignore,

Obvious but carefully disregarded.

I'm like a locked shelf, holding your secrets,

Opening only when you need me, and closing when you're done.

I keep your secrets safe because I care,

But now I'm trying to comprehend why you run.

I understand that you know how much I care,

But the pain of your retreat cuts deep.

Your perpetual turmoil hurts more than any blade,

Repeatedly swung in my direction.

It's time for me to rebuild my walls,

To draw a line and protect myself.

When you run this time, my gates will remain closed,

I'll remain loyal but establish stronger boundaries.

No longer a dotted line or a flimsy fence,

I finally realize you don't truly want me.

You only desire the illusion of a game,

A representation of me that suits your needs.

That's not something I can pretend to be,

So when you turn your back on me, please go.

Leave me be to heal this wound,

But when you abandon me, don't return that way.

I deserve more than your back turned to me,

It's time to find my own path without you.