By: Linad M Crate

i will surrender my heart and soul to none
make sure you stand down
not step to me
because i am the daughter of the moon
i have wolves, oceans, and primordial rage older than trees
at my command
i will destroy you utterly if it means
sparing the dreamers
from hell;
don’t think i won’t
no matter how much i loved you once
i recognize that there are already too many monsters in this world
won’t let you kill anyone else as you have me—
i will never apologize for being me
nor anything i said to you that hurt you
because you challenged me on everything always trying to hedge me in
like when you said i didn’t have a temper
i know you wanted me to sit prettily upon the pedestal
accept your birdcage as truth when it were little more than a gilded cage
of false sincerity and lies
so burn in sorrow for eternity because that is all you are
capable of giving others
there is nothing good in what remains of the humanity
in your soul.