i saw my face in a photo from the year before this one
and it stopped me dead

i saw the naivety the fears of cancer the longing the entanglement the
hot air ballon dreams
the high school mindset the veganism the tension in my shoulders the thoughts stored in my cheeks like a squirrels nuts
the loss the drowning the infallible belief that we all deserve better the stubborn Irish blood the streaks of summer the
waiting

i took a photo today of my face
and all i see is the
honesty