Istatu

In your mind, you had a statue
Of what I could become
Oh, how very kind,
And in hindsight,
Wholesome.

Over the years, you chipped away
Little by little, you chipped away
The body of my being
Never quite seeing
The layers I had,
Instead.

You added your own and dressed me
How you wanted, not pausing
Or waiting to acknowledge
Not once contemplating
The consequences.

I had a warm body, a passionate heart
That you ripped apart because afresh
You could start, again and again
Each time you were not happy
I could morph to accompany
Your feelings.

I grew up to be fifty,
Before I was thirty.
What a shame
What a shame
What a shame
Alas

You forgot to chip the e in me
They all knew. Friends
And family. What
A sham!

Then one day,
Far removed
I saw myself
In the corner
On display.
Ice statue
Just
Melt
ing
Aw
a
y
.