“Why can’t you just take a compliment?”
I was asked by a humble man,
As I was disinfecting the halls of his offices.
Little did he know I had more guilt crawling up my esophagus,
Than truth I should’ve accounted for before sticking my chest out for all to marvel at.
But,
I understood his sentiments,
As I lowered my rag from his face to answer his question,
And,
Silence…
For one or two seconds,
I had to take a breath,
And,
Think about what I’d say as a coward who was still stuck in a shell with,
Reasons I couldn’t figure out.
“Well,
You’re right.
But-“
He cut me off with a smile and said,
“It’s okay!
Most people around here aren’t used to kindness more than the need to be defensive.”
“I guess you’re right,”
I said,
With nothing to say accept,
“Thank you…”
Problem is,
I didn’t feel thankful.
I wasn’t working maintenance to make sure his building sparkled.
I was working to maintain a wallet with money for a world putting a price on survival,
A world where love couldn’t just be love without a vial,
Of perfume,
Or,
A plate of overpriced dinner to consume,
As if a smile or two has to be bought,
Or else,
We’re abandoned at a cost…
Yet,
He didn’t have that in mind now,
Did he?
“Have a great day!”
He said,
As all I thought about was escaping a city,
I was never happy in.
A city where happiness is taken from you when you’re not apart of a claque we’re driven to fit in,
Even if we crashing into a curb no one will uplift us from.
A crash I wish he knew about with an answer as to why no one would show me love,
When I needed it most.
But,
His fault it was not,
As it was I who got myself into an accident I wouldn’t have suffered if I looked upon a light shone,
To me within darkness I wouldn’t turn away from…
“Have a great day,
As well…”
What else could I have said knowing no one would answer my cry for,
Help…
m3l0dicverse 
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