and when i was lost,

tangled

(at the bottom of the sea)

i shed all these layers of

tiresome expectations

and that shy girl reputation

that served as my armor for

all these years because

you see

i'm not that sweet little silent

china doll everyone pretends i am

but at night i thicken my skin

with all the phone calls you left unanswered

and the aftermath of that one kiss

and these hands that are still empty

(so that there won't be a next time.)