an ancient creature
millions of years
and she persists
each egg brings life
small, delicate
born into her first form
the caterpillar

i tried washing you away
18 years circling the drain
you moved on quickly, no time to think
my worth reduced down before i could blink

she didn’t go looking for trouble
sometimes that’s just a myth
all she longed for
all to achieve
the sincerest form of companionship

no wedding ring on
you took your aim
firing bullets
your favorite game

was your trip everything you wanted?
did she give you something new?
i never realized. i wasn’t prepared
replacement came so soon

a prison i paid for with a steep entry fee
the lines from the blinds fade to cold bars of steel
so grey are the walls, there’s no color within
i mask all my sadness with the happiest spin

you held me in the palm of your hand
the power i had diminished
which fed into my grounding
no grass, no sand, no dirt, no land

there was a time i took up space
before you came along
i quickly found this was the place
where you and i belong

it’s a simple thing, what you’ve asked of me
and before i could speak
i resigned fully
soon though, the request sinks in
like quicksand
taking hold with a grin

is age what defines her?
is it her sex? is it her body?
when she begins to assert?