nothing

[caged]

if only i were transparent
so you could have a clear view of what neglect
does
to a woman
it is a time bomb
filled with shards of contempt
and loneliness
patient
silent
and immesurable in magnitude

i have done my share of crying
made as many compromises as i dare
without becoming unrecognizable
to myself
and yet you demand sacrifice
more
a deeper devotion
without the promise
without the hope
of anything in return

i lived and breathed you
twisted our lives together
into a radiant work of art
and made it nearly impossible
to differentiate me
from you
at all

i have dug my own grave
quietly tolerated the fatal blows of indifference
and allowed you to take me
for granted