(c) 7/17/2021
I hold onto
every grudge as though
it is my last possession.
Clutch disappointment
as if each small humiliation
were a building block
in my fortress. Such shiny
things!
For a moment. They tarnish and
I scour away for days
to bring each back to its
original luster.
And sometimes I find it
challenging
to prioritize regret, to
replace bitterness
with
alternatives:
a glimpse of koi in the pond,
licorice tea,
or the scent of baby powder,
though that too
can be dangerous with asbestos.
Someone said, “Make this
your year for letting go.”
She became another relationship
that failed my expectation.
It wasn’t easy, but I let her
go.
Other children swing inverted,
heads upside down,
hair brushing earth, feeling
free.
Others
surrender when surrender is optional,
accepting that time and
distance may offer clear footing.
I once felt bound, too.
I know the world has not
changed.
I’m no longer
sure when I did.
