In "Glowsticks," the speaker describes an abusive relationship from the inside. The title is a sharp image: a glowstick only lights up when it is cracked, so the speaker imagines their pain as the thing that pleases their partner. Each opening line follows the same pattern, where the speaker is hurt and responds with thanks, care or loyalty. They even cover for the violence, saying "it was an accident," and blame themselves for creating a "monster."
Then the poem shifts. "This is all wrong" admits what the speaker has been avoiding: love should mean being held gently and kissed, not thrown "to the lions" or haunted by. The mood begins as quiet, anxious devotion and slowly becomes clearer and sadder. The ending is hopeful but cautious. Safety only comes once the speaker leaves and sees that "this is not love." The plain, repeated phrasing makes the harm feel ordinary, which is part of what makes it so unsettling.