This Is Not A Divorce
a poem (and a writing prompt!)
This is not a divorce,
I dare not say
I know that feeling.
A split nonetheless
like a childhood role model
slid downhill amongst the limelight —
no.
I find myself wanting
to erase the thought above.
It is not.
For one,
this instance represented
a difference of values,
neither more correct than another;
we saw the fallout
but we also saw
the strength of each
taking on in their own paths.
And then -
let’s drop the idea
that it’s shameful
for these adultified child stars
absent the actual support they needed
instead showered in dopamine hits
and access to wealth
before their frontal lobes developed.
It is not initially their shame,
but rather ours,
for allowing an atmosphere
that pressured them to be,
to overshare,
to perform
rather than to develop the creativity
and craft of what they love.
