I let my nails grow long
And the polish fade and chip away.
I did not cut them or file them down.
I wouldn’t. I couldn’t.
Not until you returned.
But in time, they snagged on clothes.
They became jagged from breaking.
I bit them until
I could not deal with them any longer.
So I did what I said I wouldn’t.
I cut my nails and
I painted them again.
I started over.