I Pour, I Bleed, I Stay Poem by Vanessa Dizon Alvarez

I've played the part beyond the page,
A lover lost, a silent sage.
Not out of need, nor hollow plea,
But from the fire that burns in me.

I pour my soul in crimson streams,
I stitch my heart into their dreams.
I show, I shine, I rise, I fall
I give too much, I give it all.

They call it weak, this aching grace,
This way I wear my truest face.
But I would rather bleed and break
Than love with hands that only take.

I hurt myself, I know it well
Each echo rings a private hell.
Yet still I stand, no mask, no lie,
My heart was honest—let it cry.

So let the shadows twist and sneer,
I'll walk through flame, I'll face the mirror,
For in this pain, I find my throne—
I loved for real, I stand alone.