12.31.24

the graveyard of my best intentions

Here lies the skin care regimen, the nutritional supplements,
the bouquet of essential oils and a clutch of 5K races. May I honor
the sugar substitutes and decaf and meditation, however many ounces
of water equal to my weight. May I bless the streamlined closet and weekly
fridge cleanout and the jars of mismatched hardware on the cluttered
utility shelves. May I hallow the broken door knobs, the chipped plates,
the stacks of loose paper listing like shipwrecks, every pledge that’s blushed
my earnest lips. Oh fervent oath! Oh buttery avowal! Oh honeyed gaze toward
a filmy, perfect future! I lay you down amongst these thousand ragged stones.
I hold my hand against your tired heart. I say the prayer that lets you go.

© Maya Stein

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