The worst poison
is disguised as water.
They tell you it’s safe,
you need it to survive.
It seems safe.
You want to stay alive
so you drink it,
again and again,
no matter how much
it burns your throat
every time you try to swallow,
no matter how much
everyone tries to warn you.
Their voices are far away.
They cannot stop you,
because no matter how much
you know deep down
that you are killing yourself,
you still desperately hope
what’s in your hands will truly be water,
not a poison that has already
entered your bloodstream
after the very first sip,
taking over your mind,
rewiring it so you can’t
live without their water,
when simultaneously
you can’t live with it.
You are not alone.
You are not sinking.
Shake the liquid from your lungs,
drain it from your blood, and
take back your mind.
It is yours to control,
not anyone else’s.
They have no right.
Do not let yourself drown.
The next time they try to convince you
you need their water
to manipulate you
into drinking it,
tell them no
and
spit it out.
You do not need their poison.
You’ve suffered for too long.
You see that now.
The worst poison
looks like water
and toxic relationships
hide behind “happiness”.