Sweet Nothings

If I spoke softly
Like those who manipulate you,
Could it reach back and unravel,
Can anything ever undo,
My desperate harshness?

Was there ever a force
In Heaven, or this teeming earth,
Able to dismantle the barriers,
To rewrite the circumstances of birth,
Or increase my worth to your life?

If I brushed my lips
Gently against your ear
What whispers could inspire you?
Is there a word you might hear
To help you stand your tallest?

I have nothing to please,
Nor to strengthen or establish you.
I am a silver-plated locket twirling in the sun,
Empty, with no objective value,
Reflecting light I cannot possess.

I long for all I do not deserve
And could never maintain,
It makes me weep alone,
I sleep alone in the pain
Of the constant knowing

You are
And I will never be

And you will never be
Better off because of me.