the cycle's on repeat

her posture slumped.
she carries such a heavy weight on her shoulders.
she never accepts grace or a hand to help with the load.
she tries so carelessly to carry all of the bags on her own and the handles rip from the weight.
she watches as all of her belongings fall recklessly to the floor.
glass jars shatter and the most delicate of delicate parcels are nothing more than scattered remnants.

she stares long and hard at her reflection.
mercilessly she picks apart the view.
tired, worn skin on her hands from carrying everyone else's loads.
she's embarrassed at the dark circles that encompass her bloodshot eyes.
who would want to look at such a mess?

but there you are.
you come like this knight in shining armour.
you remind her of her beauty more than once per day.
but as soon as she shows interest in your flattery you run.
you close your lips as quickly as you opened them.
and there she is left hanging onto the shards of compliments from deceitful lips.

bloodstained hands carrying the heavy loads of everyone else.
they get weaker as the life drains from her fingertips.

and there you are.
offering a hand.
like this knight in shining armour.
but how quickly you run.
how quickly you run when you see all of her belongings that she forgot to leave behind in the dumpster at the last rest stop.
and there she is staring at your silhoutte in a cloud of dust taking off into the sunset.

skinned knees crawling against the dirt, stinging with the momentum of ground gained.

and then you come out of nowhere.
full of promise and hope.
all of the right words and at the right speed and in the language she understands.

but she knows better.
so she stabs you with the shards in her hands and her steady crawl picks up the pace.
full steam ahead she leaves you in the dust because that is what she knows to do....
hurt before being hurt.

she kicks the dirt beneath her feet and takes a few more steps forward.
she slowly turns around and surveys what she's leaving.
too much murder for two tired eyes.
she takes a few more steps and realizes the cycle is on repeat.
she readies herself for the next battle to come.