she stole a ring
& called it forever.
i said yes
because i wanted
to believe her.

i carried us—
the bills, the food,
the fights.
she carried
nothing
but the matches
she used
to burn me.

she made me leave love
then punished me
for trying to find it again.

& still—
she gets the happy ending.
& i get
the trauma.

but i know now:

love doesn’t
ask you to bleed
& call it
home.