He spent his entire life
Trying to avoid that
Feeling, the one he
Remembered from childhood
And never wanted to relive,
Constantly struggling to
Circumvent his inner pain,
Destroying all his
Relationships and making
A lot of people miserable.
He carried it deep inside
Until the very end.
Her actions negatively
Impacted them but
When they politely
Brought it up to her,
She took offense and
Blamed them,
Unable to admit fault
Or take responsibility
For her own behavior,
Leaving it unresolved,
As with much else
In her life.
A sudden rush of
Self-inflicted everything,
Unstoppable motion initiated
By the realization that
We’re at the point where
Change is welcome and adventure
Alluring, the hum of possibility,
New experiences to become
Part of our story.
We talk with each other,
Interested in what’s going on,
Sharing stories about everything,
Our deepest hopes and worries,
A natural ebb and flow,
Unedited, uninterrupted, easy.
Exciting ideas appear,
Old ones modified or left behind,
New branches, leaves, flowers emerge,
Our dreams taking hold,
Continuing the conversation.
I remember as a child
When I had to have
Minor surgery and,
As I was recovering
In the hospital afterward,
Receiving lovely cards
From my classmates,
And having various
Smiling faces visit,
Providing comfort
At a vulnerable moment,
Unsolicited
Acts of kindness
That made
Such a difference.
They’ve been given
Permission to be as
Loutish as they want,
Belittling anyone who
Doesn’t agree with them,
Gaining validation from
Someone with no restraint,
Who doesn’t care for
Anyone but himself.
It’s as if
They’ve lost
The ability to
Feel anything,
Empathy replaced
By a grim,
Cold numbness.
A moment of unexpected,
Irrational fear,
Fleeing from a predator
Where there is none,
Subconscious poison
Introduced long ago,
A passing observation,
Furrowed brow,
Explicit statement,
Unanticipated display
Followed by shame,
Though not in some,
Which is why it
Persists.
Please stop telling me
Who I am, what I need
To be doing, and how
I should do it.
Those decisions are best
Left to me, the person
Most affected by purposelessly
Following well-meaning but
Entirely ill-suited advice;
I’ll fare much better when
You let me find my own answers.
