Outside Stress

You tear a piece of paper,

You rip it all to shreds,

And then you throw it in a pile

And yell at it for being torn.

You ask it why it doesn't just tape itself together,

Although it literally can't,

And, besides,

You tore it in the first place.

You take a plate and throw it

Right on the kitchen floor.

You watch it shatter to pieces,

And then you ask it why it's broken.

You scream at it for letting you damage it,

Despite the fact it couldn't do anything to stop you.

Then, you finish by complaining when you step on the shards

That you refuse to clean up.

Why do you blame things for the damage you caused?

Why do you blame them for hurting you

When you hurt them first?

How can you yell at anyone for reacting and fighting back

Against the hurt that you caused them?

Why can't you see that it's nonsensical

When you do this to human beings, too?

Why should I be the bad person

For receiving damage I cannot fix,

Did not ask for,

And did nothing to cause?

After having heaps of abuse piled onto them,

Why should someone be in the wrong

For fighting back against

Or being angry at

Something that someone else started

And was no fault of their own?

Why should the person who caused the damage

Get away scot-free

Without having to even try and fix it?

You cannot blame the victim

While acting like the attackers

Are poor little innocents who should face no consequences

For the things they did.