You’re Shrinking Now

and look how much I’ve grown

Photo by on

i
made
myself
smaller
and paler
for longer and
later, I could not
recall why I was caged at all …
now
though,
I don’t even
remember what
it is to not be free.
Do you think you’ll finagle
your way back inside this space?
is this delusion we’re talking or are you fucking with me?
do
not
come
around
us here, we
do not want you near,
where, yes, the wind still howls
and maintains a bitter bite but it’s
worth the sting to feel her clean air cling
to and circle within our lungs, fulfilling our need
for this sustenance you sadistically withheld from us.
it
was
only in
the knick
of time, that
I realized you’d
stolen mine, which
originally was meant to
be shared with her, not wasted by me,
but it’s not too late, though it almost was,
we
were
freed the
moment I
walked and as I
did, I ensured I spat all
your parts out to make room
for the good in life, like my peace and
my daughter, who is the center of my heart — again
we
inhale
as long, as slow,
as shallow, and as deep
as we damn well please now— and I’m
gaining more stature and building up speed;
from my distant position, your body seems to be
shifting, perhaps now you are the shrinking one, and
I
know
distance
makes objects
seem smaller than
they are, but this can’t
be explained away by some
illusion;I saw the truth up close
to your face in the grocery store. You
were…