Empathy my strength or
empathy my weakness?

Empathy traps me
          in your loose ends
                    knotted up in my heart.

Empathy teaches me
                                how to forgive,
                     teaches me
           how to forget,
can it teach me
                      how to trust again?

Empathy softens me
                               hardens you
                                                justifies you.

               Empathy
breathes silent reminders
keeps memories around
               to drown
                    me.

Empathy                     makes you          human.
                 paints you                      rash
                                         it asks

What would I do?        I say
Love would find a way.
But in my empathy,
            is that not just as acceptable
                        an answer for tomorrow
                                    as I would like it to be
                                                yesterday?

Empathy, ushering in
         the summer,
always so very hard on me
         year after year,
by ensuring our connection
         as it decays.

Empathy makes you me
but for me to be me
I must deny me
and take me from you.

                    Empathy makes me fear you
                    tears wrought by the permanence
                    rolling off my tongue, is this
                    my lesson?

How do I deny my empathy
          like the villain it has
                    always seemed to be
                              to me?
How much
          must I give
                       of myself
                               to escape
                                      from you
                                                  alive?