So silly.

There’s a silly little thing that happens,

when you grow to love yourself.

Reality sets in.

No longer staring through broken, distorted lenses -

Finally, you can see clearly, what pains means.

Suddenly, you, in the mirror

A past not present

But her presence is felt

Why not me? She asks.

Why not us, together? You plead.

The little girl,

who’s father left those three days on a bender

(And somehow you knew why but were so. afraid.)

Who’s mother took a call and locked the door

For Love far away

When your love, was so close.

That silly little thing….forgetting who you used to be,

But taking you by the hand and leading her anyways

like you were meant to be led

But weren’t

You move the rock so she can grow past it

A little stem, easing, roots - taking hold

Because there’s no dark, then light

There’s nothing to win from a long frost

You only pick up and keep moving.

And it could be infuriating, and surely,

It hurts worse then all of the little times

You were forgotten and invisible

Like compounding pain

Or waves of suffering

In a storm that destroyed,

Then, in a you that rebuilt.

And funny enough,

You became your own mother

And funny enough,

Peace wasn’t forgetting it

But it was letting the pain be real, not pretending it wasn't so hard for us

but then saying,

Yes, that really hurt. Let’s not stay here, then -

And you nod, and say “okay.” and that’s that.