Twelve years ago, it happened
in that office by the door.
The end of a four year battle.
My little civil war--
"The decision was made to..."
My mind freezes at the word.
What now--
The end of misery and abuse--
The beginning of what?
Searching,
Pain,
Suffering,
Closed doors,
More that open--
to the Library of Congress,
Chapel Hill,
the mountains,
the sea,
UNC,
Paris,
Normandy,
Hemingway's hang-out,
My first camping trip in a long time,
Durham,
the Nasher,
writers and poets,
DPAC
and Boston
and back here.
Where is here?
To gratitude
for where I am now,
and for not being where
I was then.
I've given the pink slip
to that person,
and that time,
and love
my prayer
for grace and
forgiveness.
