LIVING SCAR

My life did not intersect
With my father’s
Until I was 15
Then at 20
He took another hairpin curve
I could not follow

I tried to reinvent myself
To live in his leafy place
I could feel his roots in me
But I didn’t know how to connect with them
His brief acceptance was only a mixture
Of pity and oversight

My false hope posed as a certainty
Until I discovered
A dashed line around me
He scissored me out again
And did not cauterize my heart
But left me with a living scar

LAST SONG

The last morning I wake
I plan to sing
As Death approaches me
With sharpened scythe and hot breath

My Memory Is Not Large Enough

My memory is not large enough
And will not last forever
It diminishes and grows
With each re-telling

I need more stories
And fewer complications
My interventions only complicate
I must remember, I can always be flexible

Clouds Are Not the Sky

Clouds are not the sky
Only a temporary presence
Time clears muddy water

I simply need rest
Or a new challenge
I must begin with acceptance