Fragile labeled boxes,
responsibility labels
on top of alcohol bottles.
We label the material
to take care of it and ourselves,
but we forget to label
the most important thing,
the hearts we wear precariously
on our sleeves.

We do this out of an essential need
to avoid autophobic nightmares
and incur welcoming dreams
of belonging, of acceptance,
of possibilities endless,
of being acknowledged for who we are
but sometimes this ends us up
with ugly scars.

Why are we not born
with cautionary labels
alerting people to treat us
with gentle love and care
instead of shoving and baring
angry teeth, mauling us down
until we are incomplete.

No wonder mothers would leave their daughters
in the woods with wild bears
than leave them with your “tender love and care”
because they would at least take care as they feast
but you mistreat and eat and eat and eat
even when the word “stop” is on repeat.

In the end, bears would not leave anything to clean
they, at least, eat all the flesh
but you leave them an irreparable mess
to pick up the pieces on their own
and find a new place
for their heart to call home.