It all stems from
and flows back to
the starting point
and measuring how you feel
about it
the further away it gets
from what you are now

how you behave today

and what other people
suddenly
refuse
to see
but the only catalyst to any action is me
I’m taking turns, making strides, healing burns, giving up and in, waking up again, afraid of old loves and a few friends
worried and anxious but resilient and carrying through
dropping what I don’t need into
the history pool
which I must revisit now and in the future too
checking on where it stems from so
I don’t forget who and whence I came from
although I’d like to
but if I do
history will repeat
and there’ll be no future version of me to meet

maybe they don’t hate me
or maybe I don’t care
I choose my direction, not theirs