Yielding to the ghosts of the past that haunt me,
My mind is filled with schemes,
Words that should have been said.

I stayed silent in fear your love you'd take from me.

I now no longer care.
I recognize it for what it was, a mirage.

An open ear only given for something in return.
It NEVER was about me in your world, inhabited only by yourself.

Yours was a selfish love, given with thick strings attached.

Today, yet again, I will clip those strings to set me free,
Only to find myself entangled once again.

Vonda Overlie

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/ghost-strings/