Between Bruises & Blooms

I was never
your enemy.

I was simply
the nearest place
you could throw
what hurt inside you.

When life bruised you,

you bruised me.

When someone disappointed you,

you found me.

When the world
refused to listen,

you made sure
I heard every ounce
of your pain.

Until one day

I stood up,

looked at the fists
made from your words,

and realized

I wasn’t made
to absorb someone else’s storms.

I am not

your punching bag.