Love Divided

You hate yourself,
yet you speak
I love you.

Can I trust your love
when you revile
your own beating heart?

I cannot heal  
the pain you leave
unattended.

Misery has found sustenance
in the repeated self – aspersion
you drown in.

I wait to hear you say I love you
without the weight of the darkness
you stone your spirit with.

Love is not whole
when you divide it
by hating yourself.


Susie Clevenger 2013
dVerse Poets Pub ~ Open Link Night ~ Week 83

Comments

Heidi said…
Oh man, you do a wonderful job of describing what it's like to love someone who hates him/herself. Tight and nicely written.
February 13, 2013 at 2:36 AM
kelvin s.m. said…
...ah, liked the finale verse... indeed how can someone love if he's / she's broken inside... nice a bit of sentiments here and well pondered processing of thoughts... smiles...
February 13, 2013 at 3:46 AM
Brian Miller said…
it is hard, esp when someone hates themselves to really get their love...because at times it seems a substitute for what they cant do for them selves...hard to trust as well..
February 13, 2013 at 5:10 AM
ayala said…
A good capture, Susie . It is said that one can not love someone if they don't love themselves but I have to say that I have seen that happen.
February 13, 2013 at 5:26 AM
Anonymous said…
Ouch. Hard words to say and hear, but well-expressed here. K.
February 13, 2013 at 5:53 AM
Laurie Kolp said…
So powerful Susie... we must first love ourselves before we can truly love another.
February 13, 2013 at 8:15 AM
Ginny Brannan said…
Sad. What makes someone so unhappy as to loath themselves, and how do we convince them that they deserve better, that they deserve the love, the freedom that they can have if they only realize how good, how special they really are.
February 13, 2013 at 9:31 AM
Sreeja said…
Beautiful write....I loved the last lines....
February 13, 2013 at 10:29 AM
Alex Dissing said…
This is so, so true. It's impossible to truly love someone else without loving yourself. Very nice write.
February 13, 2013 at 12:27 PM
Victoria said…
Wise, Susie. When we can't love ourselves, it's a lifelong search for someone to fill up that need. Very wise.
February 13, 2013 at 2:53 PM
JayG said…
Deep thought. Heavy feeling. Is lack of self-love due to guilt, unforgiveness, unworthiness? So many obstacles to love.
February 13, 2013 at 5:00 PM
Charles Elliott/Beautyseer said…
So hard to give love to anyone who considers himself or herself unworthy! And giving love to someone who joyfully accepts it makes ALL the difference! Nice, evocative piece!
February 13, 2013 at 9:05 PM
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