therewereotherstherewereotherstherewereotherstherewereothers

there.
were.
more.
than.
just.
me.
that.
were.

twistedbrokenwarpedalteredbyhisbranches.

what he. did to me.

do you know? what he did? to me?

he made me. love him. made me think. i would be spared.

andthenhedestroyedmememememememe.

he tortured me. for months. mindbodysoul. he took. my eyes. warped. my body. my mind.

crushed. my. heart. in. one. hand.

he made me. like him. eyelessmouthlessbranched. a tree that breathes.

(amonstermonstermonstermonstermonstermonster.)

and then expects. me to serve him.

(thewillowbowstonooneandnothingandnooneandnothing.)

why? because i am? no longer human?

what is? human? i have. forgotten.

(maybeineverwasmaybeidreamedit.)

do not ask. how i still see. you.

do not ask! for me to appear!

you would not like. what you see.

thebirdsthebirdsthebirdsthebirdsthebirdsthebirdsthebirdsthebirds

they are not to be trusted.

they are. betraying creatures.

of course. i killed them.

(idonotwantthemroostinginmybranches.)

sing not for evil deeds.

atXY. (0,0).

i remember little. about my past now. except for him.

i feared him. his darkness.
his eyeless gaze. his branches.
for days. stalked. hunted. (helpless.)

i wept of fear then.

the branches. took. me.
to the forest. kept for days.
a prison. a torture.

i wept of pain then.

he destroyed betrayed hurt altered me.
the pain. of a thousand branches. tore my flesh.
the wreath of thorns.
my eyesthroatmouthface burned.

i wept so piteously then.

to see myself. what I became.
to live in solitude. because.
of himhimhimhimhimhimhimhim.

i weep still.

but who will weep for me? when i cannot?

thetown.

there is a town. in the state of. indiana. called rifton.

it is very small. veryveryverysmallsmallsmall. in the country. only about. 400fourhundred people. quaint.

it has. many children. in it. a playground. a school district. many families.

it is surrounded. by thick forests. in all directions.

a perfect place. to hide myself. my branches.

i have lived here for. about two months now.

they have started. to whisper of me. already.

of the willow. that weeps.

OuO

inhale.exhale.iweep.

ilovehimbutihatehimbutilovehimbutihatehimbutilovehimbutihatehimbutilovehimbutihatehimbutilovehimbutihatehimbutilovehimbutihatehim.

my bark is bitter.
my branches hang low.
evil he is.
this i know.

hewouldleavemetheabilitytoloveonlytowatchmesuffer.

 why did you hurt me why did you betray whywhywhywhywhywhywhydoilovewhy?

you

bitter i am i see you newcomer. you wonder. what i am. yes.

i will tell you. in time.

(secretsarehistacticiamnothisidonotservehim.)

inhale. exhale. i trust. you not.

(youdonotinterestmeenoughhuman.)

the branches rustle.

thewordsthewordsthewordsthewordsthewordsthewords

you will not understand them. until you read those meant for you.

straynot.

the breathing tree
it took from me
my eyes and heart
but still i see.

the bitter bark
the branches black
may take you and
you won't come back.

oh children gather
all 'round me
oh stray not to
the breathing tree.

(trustmetrustmetrustmetrustmetrustme.)

thechildren.

oh, say, do you know
that a long time ago,
there were two little children,
whose names I don’t know.

they were stolen away
on a bright summer’s day,
and left in the woods
in a place far away.

(poorbabesinthewoods.)

weepforyouall

i weep for you late at night, when sleep does not come easily. i weep for the one you miss. i weep for the dreams on the tips of your fingers. i weep for the tears in your pillow. i weep for the silence and i weep for the noise. i weep for betrayal, intended or not. i weep for the friends you once were. i weep for the colors faded. i weep for the last time you touched. i weep for words that can never be taken back. i weep so hard and so much and so often. i weep for you. when you have run out of weeping.

inhale.exhale.begin.

i am the willow that weeps.

i am the woman the branches took.

and altered.

i am the willow that follows and sees.

the children.

and there is much. that i must tell you.