I swallow the hard lump in my throat
The one that brings tears to my eyes
As if I’m stomaching poison
Maybe I am- in a way
You’re so toxic after all
When I cry you decide that you’ve won
The silent battle of who-hurt-who
As if my tears of frustration are a trophy
A white flag I’m waving
A symbol of your superiority
But no one wins a war
Soldiers are lost never to return home
So is trust
And love follows soon after
A relationship shattered by a game
A relentless need to conquer
You lead a crusade of pointless arguments
You argue your way to hell and false riches
Bathe yourself in my destruction
Lather yourself in my tears
You’ve hurt me- congratulations
You fought a war against a peaceful nation
You stripped it of its gold
Slaughtered the citizens
If only you knew that the true value of the nation resides within the richness of soil
Or maybe- it’s ability to grow back despite conquest
Tear down and destroy, dear conquerer
Until your feet are weary and your soldiers are dead and you cannot remember why you were fighting
Does it even matter?
You’ve won.
And once you’ve set the small peaceful nation into flames
You bask in your earnings
Plastic covered in gold paper
A facade of glory
You weep into your winnings
Mourning your own loss
The small nation thrives again
The soil is rich and deep and lively enough to survive such vicious attacks
I am reborn, stronger than ever
Maybe it’s because the deepness of my roots
Dear conquerer, you’re conquest of rudeness was fruitless
I am not something you can destroy
I will kill you with my kindness
Confuse you with my empathy
Terrify you with my softness
Destroy you with my tears
Anderson High School
12