I want to purge every painful memory
Incindiary- exorcise my ghosts of the past
Pouring salt on invisible wound, infected and unhealing
Incapable of moving on, crossing over
Letting go and fighting fair

Arm hairs upright
Muscles fraught with anguish
Unable to extinguish the barrage of remembrance assaulting my senses
White-hot on my eyelids and blackened ash on my tongue
With the tears and the lies

Exorcise my anger
Let out the snarling mongrel
Limping and fiercely protective of every vulnerability
No ability to let go or let loose or let up
Because it only leads to new scars in old wounds

Make room for stillness
For connection, soft and gentle affection
Tactile love and visible satisfaction
Undeniable pride and ephemeral wonder
That I'm here and living and alive