after all these years, after you’ve left

what hidden, buried

woolen, scratchy

i hear you, i’ll listen now

i don’t want to move on

into that sea of icy glares without

i am adrift, rigging unmoored

exhaustion avoidance, flexible thinking

yet this ship is sinking, mind ringing

cough it up, spit it out, let’s have a sea

tide rush polar ice cap melt, austerity belt

chastity dealt major blows, swinging hammer tongue

lithe to rigid to lithe

believe the lies

cut these ties

stare deeply into your eyes

breathe you in

no more

it’s a memory

having shaped me, made me

fist of Quan Yin

goddess of mercy

be merciful with me

having shouldered my burden

having borne the weight

having been buffeted by winds and foes

having passed this long night

counting on self to make it right

my own damned self, a fallacy

escape this apparent thinking, shallow rationale