I plucked each petal of my being
Until all that was left was a fuzzy prickly stem
And a foundation rooted in dirt and worms
Hoping that then,
I would be acceptable
I removed the very things
That made me beautiful
Always landing on “he loves me not”
So I sprouted again,
I nurtured myself with water and sunlight
And began to blossom
What grew back was not the same flower as before
It was a larger and more resilient efflorescence
And now I know I’d rather
Be unloved in full bloom
Then loved
Stripped down