I used to make you smile

your fingers are the iron bars 
 that pin me to the night 
 your tears the heavy manacles 
 holding me down tight 

 your [bad word] is a tiny window 
 in the corner of my cell 
 through which i’ve stared for hours 
 at a distant water well 

 i used to make you smile 
 if only for a while 
 i know i used to make you smile 

 your mouth has barbs attached to leather strands 
 protruding from your phone 
 your makeup case is filled with knives 
 steely children caged in bone 

 your mirror is your needle 
 your favourite form of art 
 it tortures you with pictures 
 of a face made up of parts 

 i used to make you smile 
 i know only for a while 
 but i used to make you smile 

 the clothes that once protected you 
 from evil [bad word] like me 
 are now the masters of your will 
 and they insist on misery 

 the wings that i used to wear 
 lie bleeding in a pile 
 your claws tore out the reason 
 that i used to make you smile 

 i used to make you smile 
 if only for a while 
 but i used to make you smile