I turned away.
I must have been ashamed.
But this chance encounter
at the supermarket
shouldn’t scare me so.
Who am I to you?
Long ago stranger.
There are more years now
between us,
then there ever were
behind us
when we knew each other.
What memory holds
its brutal claws around me,
to make me feel so embarrassed?
I have done well.
I am happy.
What I’ve done
and who I’ve become
have improved me.
You were once
the scene of social grace,
beauty and ardor.
I have no doubt
that you still are,
but it is the past
that intimidates me.
I guess,
I’m still hanging on
to old insecurities.
I guess I should be letting go.
I don’t need these
persecutions.
Not from you,
not from myself.
I think it’s time
I deemed myself worthy
of being proud
of my accomplishments.
Who I am
is not that timid child
and weakness no longer
flows through my veins.
“Hi there! Very nice to see you again!
Yes, I am doing well.
Thank you for asking!”
That wasn’t so hard,
was it?
It turns out
I like it
when I like me.
I guess we all do.
So, shed the shame you carry.
HG -2019