if you are anxious before family meetings and interacting carefully, like strangers is your best-case scenario if you can’t trust your people to remember things as you remember if things are never light, only gaslight never relaxed, only tear-bright this poem is for you if you’re no son, daughter or sweet child of mine if you learnt to set boundaries by being so far that you want the distance to make it hurt less that you hope you can cope and say yes, you’re fine this poem is for you. if estranged is best, if family crest says never return, if burning those bridges was the one road to safety and to your own nest if holidays are harder, if you never started to heal and your parent died, if it’s too real this time of year, talking of rebirth when your heart is ashes where family should be this poem is a hug. this poem would like to be the mum and dad you never had this poem reminds you gently, when it’s said and done you’re not the only one.
- ritasuszek