the bird in me

by an odd
ornithological
osmosis
the hatred in you
becomes the bird
in me

have I left you
bereft of kindness
in cultivating
my own?
no, I will not take
responsibility
for the cruelty of others
anymore
once I would have been fooled
by my bleeding heart
hoodwinked, hornshnozzled

I start to discern now
the disgust you earn
from my indecisiveness
my failings
by no means saintly
I stand here as me
and you, as you
in your toxicity