Don’t come up for air until you feel worthy of breathing again. I cut the sleeves off every memory. Burrow myself away for winter. Isolate the good and bad parts, but make sure it’s separated for safekeeping. Buried it all deep in the woods. Back where roaming felt like a privilege and nighttime wasn’t so fucking scary. Everyone felt the trees whisper secrets but were too afraid to listen. We all gather like a funeral and nothing feels new when it’s been so fucking sad for so long. Rainstorms have a way fueling my fear of drowning and tonight I’m less afraid. Thunder screams back at me and I tell it how tired I’ve been. Nothing shows mercy. It’s like the past creeps through and tries to drown out the town. Wash away any shame. Makes you feel like drowning. -AMT ©️