toxic traditions from your mothers tongue tumble out of your mouth

you’re in control of these tailored tones designed to lose everything you love

an easy strike

pointed

i forgave you once, hated her

twice, loving you

i moved out and back in

everything you wanted was easy to rescind so you didn’t have to maintain stale mundane walks to get the mail, the monthly bills, my name, your name, every crack in the sidewalk predictable, every neighbor wave the same

wishing i could trip and walk over your body, an easy situation to blame, outside destruction

we can reconcile

the slow slicing of emotional membranes fading my need to care

we can’t relate

days, weeks, months

i stop wondering why i can’t get up

more so

i stop asking why

it doesn’t matter

you’re predisposed to pretend she died when you were ten, now, i’m left with her ghost

telling me

it’s time to go