This Is the Blood by Aaron BlairYou masochists are everywhere, he says.
As though we are an army of clones,
faceless and wearing identical ligature marks
like necklaces around our pretty throats.
But I won't earn my hair shirt being like everyone else,
and I need it to get into heaven,
or whatever place it is that I am going to,
where the love finally outshines the pain.
What god will be convinced that I need him
if my knees don't have any scars?
He knows, just like everyone, that it isn't real
if it doesn't hurt, that we want to be
saved by the body, saved by the blood.
Trust me, though, when I say I know
why you despair of us, I understand.
It hurts you more than it hurts me
and you're not as brave as I am,
so you don't want to do that to yourself. 07/11/2010 Author's Note: Inspired by Jonathan Campbell, who was joking, and who actually said "Are you a slapme chokeme girl, too? God, you guys are everywhere." No vitriol is intended. I just don't think that people understand the way a person's psyche can be twisted by growing up believing that pain equals love. People are people. Not walking cliches.
Posted on 07/11/2010 Copyright © 2024 Aaron Blair
Member Comments on this Poem |
Posted by Colleen Sperry on 07/12/10 at 12:19 AM this is strong |
Posted by Max Bouillet on 07/14/10 at 11:48 PM Too many times it isn't real unless it hurts. Then we know it's serious. We know, at least, that someone else thinks it's important. Sacrifice is the key to let other people know that we think it's serious. Potent words. |
Posted by Gabriel Ricard on 07/15/10 at 07:29 PM Great form. I absolutely couldn't agree with you more. |
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