My mother used to say
if you drop a frog in boiling water
he jumps out.
But if you set him in cool water and slowly up the temp,
he'll adjust until he’s boiling.

Well I’ll tell ya,
it sure is hot in here.
Here,
this *** in which I sit, sweating,
regretting

Boiling over with little atrocities.
A belittling comment here.
A joke at my expense peppered in there.
Red flags bubbling to the surface.

If I had just paid attention to the temp.
If I had turned 180 degrees
to look at the settings and see
that I was sitting in 212,
I would have yelled,
Let me out!

Little did I know
that a little turns into a lot.
That more often than not,
they will not change.
They will just alter their already
steady hand
As they slowly
Up the temp.