delicate (not soft)

woven from breath
as real as a secret
never uttered
truth is ruthless
an unforgiving lover

fear and faith
crushed by mortar and pestle
blended, we are (forever)
diaphanous and dangerous
as subtle as dynamite

I am delicate
I am not soft
bent
to the point of breaking
exactly what I needed

there is beauty
on this killing floor
buried beneath the midnight
the pain is alive (and unwell)
keeping me in restraints

scars upon scars
trying hard to heal
keep your fingers
from my rusty cage
I bite out of instinct

I am weak
I am not fragile
broken
to the point of letting go
exactly what I needed

slings and arrows
real and imagined
pain brought to light
giving up control
to save (what's left of) my life

taken from shaking hands
searching for my salvation
tired of running on empty
finding rapture in release
my hope lives in your eyes

I am delicate
I am not soft
bent
to the point of breaking
you are...exactly what I needed