Out of Conflict, Strength

You hate,

When I am right, and when I am wrong,

When sodden swamps to me are crystalline waters to you,

When crowning a champion is more important than cooperation.

*

You cry,

After pushing my buttons, and I react,

Snapping at your statements, acting the ass,

Refusing to hear the veracity in your voice.

*

Thoughtless words,

Pierce the marrow of your bones,

Sear the very cells of your skin,

And tear the heart from your chest.

*

Yet, surprisingly,

You love me more than my ignorance,

You look beyond the wasted words,

You hold on through the enduring heartache.

*

And then,

Your suffering becomes an awkward silence,

Silence leads us to empathy,

Empathy pulls us to the other's embrace.

*

I hate,

When you are right, and when you are wrong,

When what is oblique to you is obvious to me,

When squabbles become skirmishes for position and lose purpose.

*

I cry,

When I believe you're being intentionally obtuse,

Ignoring select words in favor of others,

Rejecting logic to insert frenzied emotion.

*

Your words,

Drive a stake into the root between my ribs,

Flay my ears on the fire of your tongue,

And shred my soul like boiled pieces of beef.

*

Yet, wonderingly,

I love you more than your gaslighting,

I look beyond the sardonic surface,

I see the seething sadness within you.

*

And then,

My suffering becomes an awkward silence,

Silence leads us to empathy,

Empathy pulls us to the other's embrace.

*

We draw,

Compassion from the swirling chaos,

Attachment from the debilitating aches,

Love from the agonizing lacerations.

*

And we grow stronger.

A/N: This poem was partly inspired by Staind's song, Right Here. If you'd like to listen, click below. If you don't like Rock (even slow rock), I've linked the lyrics here.

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