why she writes:

tried on a traditional life / too tight / there are things I am trying to erase and things I am trying to excavate / I need to apologize / I need to forgive / garden of dry dry bones.

the heart keeps beating because the hand keeps moving / I tell my therapist I will not be the reason you get that call a third time / “get up,  get out,  love them more than you loathe yourself.”/ the page doesn’t tell me to be palatable.

scan the shelves for diced tomatoes / find it right next to my grief / $5.14/ when they took the farm south and I moved inside myself / with the peas is the pressure to be the good kid / unspoken but felt / sweet potato / I reach for two / brush past the fear I’m nothing without him / on sale / to be restocked with the prayer they will accept you.

when day comes it’s still dark / that’s winter / “dear God, do I not get to be at peace?” / I pick up the pen instead of a bad habit / paper carries the truth when my tongue cannot / when people were few there was always an empty page /

there was always an empty page.