Active Forgetting is Necessary and Sufficient
This purple bruise between us –
fault does not explain it
Trading sorry for forgiveness
doesn’t change a thing
it only ties a ribbon into a bow
knots a rope into a lasso
turns the surprise of separation
into a faux memorial
lends a semblance of dignity to
selfishness – both sides
Like tennis elbow needs a rest
to rejoin body’s wholeness
the bruise between was in mind –
it never touched our soul
6 thoughts on "Active Forgetting is Necessary and Sufficient"
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That rhyme with bow and lasso is so good! Good poem, as usual.
yessss “This purple bruise between us –/fault does not explain it “
Like the form and word choice especially first stanza.
I really like how this poem reframes ‘forget about it’ as something active and necessary rather than dismissive.
Good one, Mike! I think you should start a poetic advice column!
This chain of insights provides a great structure for the poem. For sure, “Trading sorry for forgiveness doesn’t change a thing …” but I wonder if trading forgiveness for sorry would. Another good one, Mike!