Hauntings

Her face when she learned how she would die.

The girl I was unkind to.

The contract I didn’t sign.

The sound of his last breath.

Secrets I should have kept.

Words I should have spoken.

Things I shouldn’t have said.

Blame I shouldn’t have taken.

Anger I should have let go of.

The side I shouldn’t have been on.

Beds I shouldn’t have been in.

Risks…taken and untaken.

News that I saw.

A story I heard.

A tale I read.

Suffering I’ve witnessed.

The eyes of my children when I’m failing them.

Moments I should have savored.

Clarity that should have come sooner.

Distrust in my instincts.

The things that nearly happened.

The things that should have killed me.

Wasted time.

Near misses.

Deserving better.

Not knowing better.

Going too fast.

Guilt.

Abuse.

Shame.

A solitary instrument playing a lonely melody in the darkness.

A cycle unbroken.