A few months past 
the fact, the internet 
suggests breaking something. 

Have you tried 
smashing a glass
making noise 
boxing, jogging 
journaling, forgiving? 

I try not to make a habit of it 
or I will never have a clean plate 
to eat off of again. 

I choose the white one 
with three green rings around 
the edges. I broke it, 
and cleaned the shards up, 
still feeling pricked by the smallest pieces 
my eyes couldn’t protect me from. 

The next night 
I stayed up until 5 AM scrubbing 
the walls of my shower. 

Later, I learned, 
there is nothing 
I can break or bleed 
scrub or scorn 
that will heal me 
the way sharing a sidwalk 
with you and starring 
straight down my path 
almost broke me–
until I called out within myself 

                                                                           I am free.