(overheard in a toxic home)
.
I’ll love you
Won’t you love me?
I can love you
Despite my self-loathing.
I’ll love you
I’ll give you whatever you want.
I’ll love you.
I’ll make you feel like a man
I’ll love you.
.
(and he believed)
.
I love you if you give me everything
You’re stupid.
I love you when you buy me anything
You are an idiot.
I love you because you pay in blood
You call that manly?
I love you. Maybe.
.
(what does love sound like, girl?
is this what your mother taught you?)
.
I love you if you obey my command.
Get out of here!
I love you if you give me your soul.
You’re weak.
I love you if you beg.
Fine, come back. For now.
Yeah. Okay. I still love you.
.
(so you can
torture him some more)
.
I love you if you grant my every wish
Shut up.
I love you but you have no rights to anything.
Get out and stay out.
I think that I don’t love you any more.
Do this for me
I might love you again.
Here’s the knife to rip out your own heart.
No. I don’t love you after all
.
(we heard your every word, hon
not just the public words.
you have no idea what love sounds like).
.
.
.
Again- Stockholm Syndrome! Help others! Abused spouses of either sex need to get help to recognise that they are being verbally and emotionally abused, and to understand that their abuser is controlling them by mis-labeling abuse as love. It’s NOT love! Healthy relationships do not look like this. It doesn’t matter that it’s all you’ve known love to be. You’re worth more than this! See a professional. Get help. Get out. GET A LAWYER!!
.
============================
.
Shared as part of Jingle’s Monday Poetry Potluck on the theme of EMOTIONS. Quite a few here: publically mouthing of manipulative “I love yous” (on the left) which really demonstrate hatred and disgust to the abused spouse not the love they profess. (See the private words in the centre column). As well the ‘Greek chorus’ (commenting on the right side of the page) offers distain for the abuser and compassion for the victim…
Shawn L. Bird 
wow, that’s playful love poem.
Glad to see you share it.
Playful? You think emotional and verbal abuse is playful? Oh my.
oops,
I mean the format …
verbal abuse is serious, I know it.
you have your message sent vividly and powerfully.
Wow. I like this a lot!!
It means a lot to me.
There’s a lot of underlying wisdom in here. Also enjoyed the format.
Thanks for your comments on mine.
Victoria
A great dialogue and a drama going on there.. I enjoyed it. Written so beautifully …
ॐ नमः शिवाय
Om Namah Shivaya
Twitter: @VerseEveryDay
Blog: http://shadowdancingwithmind.blogspot.com
clever poem- and good advice too!
[…] Shawn: https://shawnbird.com/2010/11/16/what-does-love-sound-like/ […]
Love this..a very good movie..sort of the usual suspects..men and women learn different definitions of a lot of stuff!!
Great way to highlight an issue that really does need more awareness. I love to see people using these platforms for social change! Nicely done.
Mine is here. http://razzamadazzle.wordpress.com/2010/11/14/bleeding-pain/
I lived that poem, I did get out eventually, it took another few years for the threats and hounding to stop, no one has the right to treat another person with such sick control.
A thought provoking poem of awareness. Nicely done.
Anita.
Glad to hear you’ve been freed from the torture. Blessings for much joy in your future.
Wow….thats a creative post 🙂
loved it!
I read it 3 times – first reading all lines together and then reading the alternate lines ! quite amazing i must say – the message and the format 🙂
When I lined up the different ‘voices’ it occured to me that it would be an interesting exercise to make three clearly separate poems and integrating them that way. This one works like that on a certain level, but I think I’ll try playing with different rhythm/rhyme schemes with each voice some time. Stay tuned!