You want to hurt him
Just because you can.
It’s nice to feel powerful
In love.

You feel tethered to the ground
When you hold his hand.
Resenting the feeling of a grasp,
Heart hinged on a flesh clasp.

It hurts when he kisses you
Because he presses too hard,
Like he is pinching himself
Awake.

Between the layers of uncertain acceptance,
Dismissal.
Whiskers and eyelashes,
Cheeks and nose bridges.

The number of times
I have looked up at your face
And the light catches each feature
Unexpectedly familiar—normally different.