To: The monsters under my bed...

To: The monsters under my bed...

I still love you

quietly, gently

at a distance where

my love cannot be seen

I still love you

in hushed whispers

in locked rooms alone

where even I can't hear it

I still love you

bloodied, bruised

limbs torn from body

heart removed from its cavity

I still love you

stupidly, blindly

in ways that make me trip

and sprain my ankle

I still love you

thinking it's my weakness

until hateful societies

stare at me from your eyes

I still love you

and I pity you, too

because a life spent haunting others

doesn't allow you to fully live

I still love you

not because I agree or approve

but because I see you

in your ugly, raw beauty