“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of harming another; you end up getting burned.”
The Buddha

Never
Spit in the face
Of those who would tell you
Your life
Truth
Love
Faith
Pronouns
Needs
Dreams
Are wrong –
Turn the other cheek,
And turn your heel
Before they can slap you again.

Self-care is
Not spending time
Or energy
Or tears
Or shoulds
Or whys
Or regrets –
Not spending anything
That could instead
Be used for love
On those
Who are determined
To misunderstand
The song
That only
You
Can
Sing

Pray them healing
Pray them peace
Pray them to find
Their foot tapping
And their heartbeat
Keeping time
One day
To the song
They swore
They would
Never
Learn the words to

Pray they never encounter
Someone like them
Upon their journey

Pray one day
They realize
They have grown
And horror sets in
As they realize
The flowers
Watered
By your tears

Pray one day
They smile
For how much
You grew
In spite of them

Pray one day
You can thank one another
For lessons learned
For wounds healed

For paths
That need not
Cross again

Written by Helen Rose on April 15, 2019