I stand by my man not only when life is easy, but especially when it gets hard.
“I love you, not out of habit,
out of salvation.
You make me feel like I’m still a ‘person,’
not a collection of swallowed anger and unspoken words.
For years, a poison tree has grown inside my chest,
its roots feed on silence,
and its fruits are bitter, dangerous, seductive.
But you stand beneath its shadow,
fearless,
and you remind me that even darkness
can be a place to stay alive.”