Catharsis

When the lady who lived
In the strawberry field
Told the children she would listen
I cried, because it was all I wanted
After so many years
So many false starts and false loves
And false friends and false foes
I cried for all the world’s injustice
All of the lives made wrong
By a narcissist and her puppy
I cried for the soldier behind the door
Let me in, let me in
Let me love you, let me in
I cried to make peace with the desert
To wash out the pollution
From all-night diners and mud pies
I cried until my lashes turned to dust
And kept them in a jar on the fireplace
Even now, the soldier still barks
From opposite my house
I wish him well
From the train towards the denouement

By Riley Wells