Clear Out

Written by Carol J Forrester

I’ve been decluttering my heart recently,

prising open the hidden parts I’d forgotten existed.

But inside there are faces I don’t want to look at again. Over

years they have changed, lost any softness they once held, become

darker, gaunter, crueler now the games have stopped. They are the ones

I couldn’t let go of. Tucked away in secret spaces, their claws dug in too deep

for me to do anything but move them around like knick-knacks, from the

window, to the dresser, to the cupboard under the stairs. They have

gathered dust but never left. Now when I look, I see they have

shrunk in size and their talons don’t hold the same grip.

 They are easier to peel away, like plasters left on

past a scar healing. They simply fall

off, used and worn out.

Photographer Unknown