i once loved
someone who kept saying…
“be smaller. now smaller, still.“

but as small as i made myself,
it was never, ever small enough.
because my light was never the problem…
their own darkness was.

so the next time i love,
i want to love someone who says…
“brighter. now brighter, still…
you could never, ever shine too much.”
– butterflies rising

» the butterflies rising poem ‘i once loved someone who kept saying… be smaller. now smaller, still… but as small as i made myself, it was never, ever small enough' was originally published on the butterflies rising poetry blog