the daily maintenance is neglected
until it is forgotten and the hinge
rusts upon the gate no one uses
the yard’s overgrown with winter grass
and must be mowed for the wild flowers
to grow into their spring explosions
the future’s distance vanishes
quickly replaced with another
like tangled weeds in a garden
while close by yesterdays cling tightly
like ill-fitting clothes and what is forgotten
is never enough for forgiveness
(February 27, 2024)
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