normalcy by Chelsea Danielle Naylor

admitting
is the first step towards
coveted normalcy.

it’s how you say,
i’m wrong, we all know it,
help me find the fix.

it’s how you relieve
the guilt…the suffocating weight,
from dwindling shoulders.

alleviation
is the first step towards
perfect posture.

it’s how you straighten
your back, bones strong,
free of the leaning weight.

it’s how you breathe
lungs open, exhaling
i’m wrong, we all know.

admitting
my heart shunned…
is broken.

admitting
this isn’t guilt,
this is shame.

shame of my
dwindling shoulders…
poor posture.

of my shallow breaths,
shadowed still by
shameful tears.

shame of my
wandering thoughts…
past smiles.

of my stories told,
shadowed now by
blame-full tears.

shame of my
weak eyes and
trembling hands.

of my dreams shared,
shadowed forever by
shameful tears.

i wish this guilt,
could simply
flee from my shoulders.

shame, though, sticks,
likes tears to my cheeks…
the last step toward normalcy.