Ghost Pepper
Literally Literary and The Writing Cooperative prompt
Published in
Dec 3, 2019
I choose this life in exile
because you don’t understand
I say yes, never
unless I know I am in charge
it goes this way:
I victimize myself, but others
others others others
not me
always have it better
it must be nice to live like you
but I choose this life
people cannot speak about
the way I let it all go
the way I will not show up
even for myself anymore
so what
we all fall down
I have just enough to get by
or kill me, if I need
You’ll find out
the way I cannot control
how I will act
it is the exulansis
my parents’ best kept secrets
pretenses aside
they were pretty good people
who did not ignore other people’s
opinions
they only left me to my own
devices
expected to be there
but ashamed usually
when I arrived
