Roots & Hope

Dear Feelings,

You are my soul’s response to every experience

and the teacher who inspires me

to make art out of life,

but when you arrive,

I am careful not to change

my name to yours.

Sentences like,

“I am sad”, or

“I am sorry”,

are imprisoning

whenever I put emphasis

on the am.

The adjectives are incomplete

and not always true.

I recognize

the fullness of my identity,

so I won’t allow you

to define me

when you visit

my day.

You’ll always pass away

even if you return

for a time.