"I am a broken guitar string,
snapping and singing
like a dying animal out front of
the restaurant because this
is our third fight this week
and I’m tired.
Tell me to shut up so I can
get louder.
Tell me I’m embarrassing you
so I can start dancing while the other couples watch.
See, when I said I loved you,
I meant all of you. Every blessed inch.
When I said I loved you, I meant
even when you were unraveling.
Now, when I am ugly with anger, righteous with spite,
you don’t like how it looks on me,
so I stay that way;
a statue of graceless rage that
you thought you could love because
you never saw what it looked like
when it was staring at you.
There is a kingdom in me,
and sometimes it is burning.
Sometimes, I let it.
I promise never to hide this from you.
That is my vow.
I promise to be an open mouth.
I promise to stay fractured.
I promise to be imperfect.
I promise to be the bravest
broken window you’ve ever seen."