I Learned How to Play

“Some lessons don’t hurt you once.
They change how you love forever.”

This ain’t for competition.

My heart went missing.

If I gotta go through you to get it back,

so be it—

I’m with it.

He stayed resistant.

She played me.

Obviously.

I was lost in the place I grew up.

Everybody knew—

who knew us.

Pain with no bruises.

I lost myself when I took that loss.

I died on that porch.

Rest in peace to him,

because the new me

will never love the same again.

Fall in love again—

maybe.

But not like that.

I played them like she played me.

Said I love you

when I didn’t.

Damn.

I didn’t know how to play

until I got played.

There wasn’t a day

I didn’t tell myself

they ain’t shit—

not because they weren’t,

but because I felt like shit.

It took time to heal.

A new love came.

I turned the page.