Don’t Tell Me to Unlove You

Don’t tell me what to do

How to help you

Or show my love to you.

Don’t tell me to go

When you know I don’t want to.

When I see you down

Lying on the floor,

Trapped by heavy steels

And unable to rise,

Don’t tell me to walk away.

You can curse me all you want.

Curse me until you’re hoarse.

Curse me until you lose

Your breath that I am

Trying to salvage from

This wreckage.

But don’t expect me to go.

I may hurt myself trying

To find ways to save you.

But love, I will still try.

And I will succeed.

You won’t be down for long.

Even if you hate it,

I will rescue you.

Even if no one else helps

As we try to survive the fire,

And the burning melts around.

As my hands stumble on 

Makeshift levers on the ground,

This I vow: You will survive.

I have no intentions to die.

No. I am no masochist.

No. I don’t want pain.

But I will brave this,

I will be brave for both of us

Until we both get out of here.

So yell some more.

Be angry with me

For staying—and forcing you

To stand up and move.

I don’t care.

Don’t tell me what to do

Because I can’t unlove you.

- RM