I cannot:
cook
pull off a hat
entertain
wear jewelry
arrange flowers
remember appointments
send thank-you cards
leave the right tip
keep a man
feign interest
at parent-teacher conferences.
I cannot
stop:
smoking
drinking
eating chocolate
stealing umbrellas
oversleeping
forgetting to remember
birthdays
and to clean my nails.
Telling people what they want to hear
spilling secrets
loving
strange places
and psychopaths.
I can:
be alone
do the dishes
read books
form sentences
listen
and be happy
without feeling guilty.
~ from Ark Review (an online literary and cultural journal),
Aug 14, 2018
