A Request

Why do I do this?
To myself?
Put my heart out there?
On a shelf?
Just bleed it out?
On the page?
Bare my mind and soul
Center stage?
Everything is nothing.
It’s all naught. 
I’m a shell of a human,
An afterthought. 
See the lines I cut?
On my skin?
See the lines of pain,
Show again?
The burn, the shame,
Agony?
No man, this isn’t that,
No pity. 
I did this for you,
By request. 
My choice, my name,
No regrets.