A Letter To My Mom

Mom, Can't you see the white flag I wave? Can't you see the way my eyes are bloodshot? Can't you see the way I have tear stains on my face? Can't you hear the way I choke on "I love you"? Can't you hear the sobs that rattle my ribs? Can't you hear me when I cry out for my mom? Can't you feel the way I tense when we're together? Can't you feel the tense in my shoulders? Can't you feel how shattered I am? Can't you taste the venom in your words? Can't you taste the dullness of your love? Can't you taste the desperation in the air? Mom, Can you just look at the battlefield of us? Can you just look in my eyes? Can you just look at the tears? Can you just look at me? Can you just listen to my strangled words? Can you just listen to my shaky breath? Can you just listen closer at night? Can you just listen to me? Can you just feel the walls of our fighting ring? Can you just feel my knotted shoulders? Can you just feel how broken I am? Can you just hold me? Can you just taste the venomous words you spit? Can you just taste the dullness of our love? Can you just taste the desperation that pours out? Can you just taste the love that used to be there? Mom, Can you just... Love me?