you mustn’t ever leave me she said

all long red hair earnest as rust

I have rejection issues

& for the life of me I never understood that

she had come from a family loved her

had provided for all of her needs

& I tried to hang on in there

loving her as best I should

but its difficult when her fear

led her to not invest as she could

becomes a one-way street

I loved how she loved when she did let go

but man it was a battle to get her to that place

giving is giving up giving in letting trust show

surrender is to win the war

where love grows

eventually I had to offer defeat

& know she provided her own rejection

all I was

was the deliverance machine