Bleed Poem by Katerina Val

Self-righteous was my sadness
my resistance, the denial
and the darkness
Self bewilderment was your chasing
so you could hide yourself in a dark safe place
and treat it like it was not your own race

And here, I, bleed
realization, they say, is so hard
it makes it a little hard to breathe
and gives a hard time to those who can not really easily feel
I gave you an itch of life
you gave me feelings
I believe
and now my irritated skin admits
you gave me some heart
now I bleed

I have died so fine
I had to bury this beating thing so deep
and so I did
till you came to me
and either I am laughing or I am crying
'let it out' you begged me
'you' ll be fine'
so I did
now I bleed

Help me now to hide it back
please, at least, help me breathe
but, no, I watch you stepping ahead
taking a step full of pain
and safe at last you whisper 'thank you' to me
the race is no longer yours
no, now it is to me
I am the one to bleed.