Between Bruises & Blooms

You and me
versus everybody.

It sounded
romantic then.

Like we were
some beautiful
little rebellion.

Two damaged people
standing back-to-back
against a world
that had already
hurt us enough.

You said
I was yours.

I thought
that meant
you would protect me.

I thought
being on your side
meant
you were on mine.

So when people
warned me,

I defended you.

When things
became complicated,

I closed ranks.

Us
versus them.

Us
versus everyone.

Us
versus anything
that threatened
what we had.

It took me
far too long
to notice

I was fighting
everybody
beside the person

I needed
to be protected
from.

There was never
supposed to be
a war.

Love should not
require
an enemy.

And eventually

it was not
you and me
versus everybody.

It was me

versus the version
of you
who believed
loving me
meant
I should survive
anything
you did.