The shards of my heart,

slowly shredding the skin

that touched hers

and caressed hers.

 

The countless letters,

scripted with elegant cursive.

Almost as elegant

as the way she danced with me.

 

The necklace she gave me,

never once taken off my chest

is now a symbol

of our love’s ghost.

 

You said I made her be this way.

You said I didn’t really care.

You said it was a waste of time.

You said it didn’t matter.

 

But what you didn’t say was sorry.

Sorry for taking away

my love.

My one sunshine.

My happiness.

 

You didn’t understand.

You wouldn’t listen.

I loved her.

But you’re her father.

And daddy knows best, right?

 

I will not let you win.

I will not let you shove me into darkness.

I will not let you extinguish my love.

I will not let you tamper with my strength.

 

Your shadow will no longer haunt

me and whoever I love next.

Because, to your dismay,

I have not lost my ability to love whom I choose.

 

I will not stop being who I am.

I will not stop fighting.

I will not stop empathizing with fellow sufferers.

I will not stop loving people

just because bigots tell me it’s wrong.

I refuse to stop defeating your darkness

with my light.

My light called love.

 

But to love another,

I must let go of the first.

To move on,

I must accept our unjust end.

 

So I must let go.

I accept that you brutally stole away

what I cared for most.

I accept that you disrespect

who she loves.

I accept that you will never change.

 

And in letting go,

I am free.

Free of anger.

Free of regret.

Free of guilt.

Free of pain.

 

And in letting go,

I am forgiving you.

 

Because I am forgiveness.

And you were just a stepping stone.