Letter To an Exboyfriend

By Tava Meyer

Excuse me, ex boyfriend;

I have a bone to pick with you, 

For example, did you really think that you owned my body 

Just because you fondled it?

Or how about my beauty, 

Since you actually acknowledged it?

And my intellect must belong to you for you heard it louder.

What about my innocence, is that all yours too? 

Because the only interest you had in me

Was that my body belonged to you.

Excuse me, ex boyfriend;

Do you want an applause 

for the way you were so exquisitely plain? 

I was raised to believe that I would get roses and slam poetry

And don't forget the cute messages left from you to me

But the only flowers involved were the ones that you plucked from my body 

and crumpled when I looked away for a moment 

And the only messages I ever received were

"hey baby, send some pictures, you know what I wanna see"

I was so young, how should I have known what you needed? 

And still relentlessly you begged and you pleaded 

And I pitied you for being so desperate.

Excuse me, ex boyfriend; 

Send your new girlfriend an apology from me

For she will have to put up with you the same way I did

And it will break her

The same way it broke me

I am sure you will ruin her body and her mind

You will rip flowers from between her legs 

When in reality you should have been pulling the weeds from her head

You will hinder her instead of helping her growth 

The same way you cut me down to the bones 

But I am done with your games I have left you I'm gone

But you'll still try and tear others apart 

And maybe I can do nothing about it 

But I will not sit here, be yours, or take part.