so i yelled to the young man,

think about what you do. Please, think, because I have
never believed that anyone could ever be that callous,
accidentally and absentmindedly tearing apart what they
do not love (what they do not hate).

so i yelled to the young man,
look around you. She is crying out for a reason,
because look at her; she opened herself up to
whatever you would give her, and you gave her
beautiful red roses with toxic spines.

so i begged the young man,
stop. You are burning this like a crumpled newspaper,
like she crumples helplessly as you toss her into the fire,
and she can do nothing but bear in black and white the message
that she has always borne — the one that the flames will erase.