Heavy Things

I keep lifting heavy
things you shove at me
keep putting them down only to find my
hands full the weight of your words your closed grip pulling
me down saying stay down the weight of your spite burying me stay down you say
the strength I've gained is no boon because
these muscles can't strike back
these muscles can only rep, lift and lower only lengthen and tense,
only curve around my bones can only bear the load of each strike until I'm sunk
Stay down
spine bowed beneath the cages no breath left in the belly no core
stability to speak of
You took my words and turned them into sideways promises twisted my iron and
broke my binding, shouted for me to stay down, chalked my outline put me in it
Stay down every minute on the minute
Kettle bell bruising heavy on my heart stay down stay down
I keep lifting keep swinging keep gaining but no strength can balance
me floor to overhead even if I've raised
you it is always you against me
you adding plates you testing
the mat to see if it will bear my stamp when I am finally, mightily crushed you
want this you want me to stay down
and I want you to please stop stay down stay down stay
down

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