I'm the one in the corner
If you were wondering
I'm the one who wears long sleeves in summer
You think it's weird
I have a cat who scratches me a lot
But she doesn't have claws
You believe my story
I smile but it doesn't hide the pain in my eyes
But you were never good with eye contact
I carry around a blade just in case I have an urge
But it's in a pill bottle so you'd never see
I don't really cry anymore
In fact I don't do much anymore
But when you ask me what I did today
I have an elaborate story of what I wished I had done
But I don't say "wish"
Existing is hard for me
And they say everyone is fighting a battle you don't know
But when I look at you, I wonder if that's true
I wonder how someone so perfect could really have anything bad going on
I try not to trauma-dump anymore
At least not on the first date
Or the first encounter
And never with you
You will always see me in long sleeves in summer
You'll always hear about my violent cat
You'll continue believing that I take my meds using the water from the bathroom sink
You'll listen to my stories with such interest, it's a pity that theyre not true
I'll smile and you'll smile back, never meeting my eyes
The funny thing about cut is that your body is a blank canvas
Painting with deep reds that create a dark black color when dried
Jaged lines like some abstract art
So the first time we kiss, my mind races
As you start to lift my sweater, I flinch
You retract your hands and kiss me so tenderly if I had closed my eyes I would've thought it was the wind
You start to lift your shirt
And that's when I see it
Abstact art
Painted all over your body
Just like mine
And just like abstract art
Each art piece is unique
Where I prefer vertical lines
You prefer horizontal wavy lines
Where I paint with deep strokes, only a few at a time
You paint lightly but filling all the empty space on your canvas
I lift my shirt and you trace my lines
I reach out and trace your waves
Between my arms and your chest
we are an art gallery to ourselves and no one else
and so we make love that night
our paintings smashing together
and as we lay side by side
I move over and rest my head on the painting
I wrap my painting around your waist
And we fall asleep
Just 2 artists
2 paintings
And pain
