A confession

I have a confession to make
But not because I've sinned
And not because I violated a vow
These are things I haven't done
What I did
When I did it
Are not important
Except that it led me away from you
For better
Not for worse
You placed upon my head
Your jeweled crown of failures
And named me
(Blamed me)
Your queen
Your shoulders too weak to wear it yourself
I accepted the tainted gift
When you said it was for love
I stooped to bear it
And stayed


He didn't see my diminished posture
The shine dulled from my eyes
He saw through it
Holding up a mirror
Fashioned from truth
Lacking the distortion of unfulfilled promises
The warps and bows
You perpetually placed in front of me
Forcing me to look at what wasn't me
Saying it was


You lost me then
But not to him
Not really
You lost me to opened eyes
To truth
To my own broad, strong shoulders
To a head raised
A level gaze
And I won't look down again
Because you're smaller than me
While he is my equal
It's my turn to hold a mirror
Clean, smooth, and sharp edged
I wonder what you see
Underneath your crown