It stuck to us like glue
to our shoes
in our hair
we applied a chemical peel
that we hoped would
erase the taint of the past
on our skin
but the past evolved
with each step we took away from it
until it was a barred toothed wolf
with metal claws
to tear at and devour us
fight, flight, freeze
but if only there was more to life
than a ******* F word