When You Just Need To Hear That You Are Loved

I’m sorry
for the times you had to
swallow your bruises and pretend
nothing happened,
pretend you aren’t bleeding black
and blue.
I’m sorry
for the times you pretended you’re okay,
with your fake smiles and half-hearted
laughs and still,
nobody noticed.
I’m sorry
for all the times you had to
use tears to wipe your wounds clean, to use
words to stitch yourself back up
because nobody ever did.
I’m sorry
for all the times you had to convince
yourself that things
will change for the better but at
the end of the day,
they still don’t.
I’m sorry
for the countless times you’ve been let down, for
the times you’ve expected too much and
got disappointed
in the end.
I’m sorry,
for the times you’ve given too much
of you yet you received so little in return.
I’m sorry,
I’m sorry
for all the times nobody told you
that you are loved;
loved for the times you found beauty
in the kaleidoscope of bruises on
your body,
loved for every smile and laugh you
never knew could lift someone else up,
loved for every scar you wore
with your head held high,
loved for never losing hope,
for always believing that
good things happen, that if not today then
maybe tomorrow, you’d always say
maybe tomorrow things will be better,
loved for not losing faith in the
people around you, that no amount of
disappointment can make you
believe in them any less,
loved for all the times you still gave
and gave
knowing you won’t receive
something in return.

You are loved, darling.
And maybe sometimes, you just
need to hear someone
tell you that
you are.