When You Break My Heart

When you break my heart, go slowly.
If you are too fast, I might feel like this was all too easy for you.

When you break my heart, go quickly.
This ongoing build-up and its uncertainty will be too much to bear.

When you break my heart, be concise.
The more you say, the more I’ll try to change your mind.

When you break my heart, be verbose.
Let me linger on each and every word and come to my own conclusions.

When you break my heart, tell me lies.
Don’t allow me to believe that all of my efforts and all of my love were for naught.

When you break my heart, speak the truth.
Don’t allow the possibility that I might find your reasons to one day be false.

When you break my heart, be kind.
If you are vindictive, vicious, or cold, I might question if you ever cared.

When you break my heart, be cruel.
Leave me with the impression that you are a terrible person and I’m better off without you.

Anticipating and preparing for the inevitable, while pondering which way will hurt the least.

Written in 2011

Copyright, The Poetry of Bryan Buser