Beauty lies in the eye
Of the beholder,
They say
You smile
Showing the very last tooth
In your mouth
Not that I actually
Fell for that
For I knew that although
They were white on the outside
They were always full of decay
In the inside
I held a glass in my hand
It showed a reflection
Of my swollen lip
Swollen from every false kiss
I broke this glass
And this time
It revealed the scattered pieces
Of my heart
A heart? Who even needs a heart
When a heart can be broken anyway?
Temptation came crawling
Like a snake
I squashed it at its head
LOYALTY is what I wrote
On my forehead
But I now erase this 7 lettered word
Like I erase,
Every memory of you…
With every ash from burnt memories
I let go…I survived
Anelisa Tyulu is a writer and poet based in Cape Town. She is a renowned feminist, honoured for always using her voice as an instrument of change. She is currently compiling her debut collection, to be published in 2018.