I remember the first time my father told me he had tried crack cocaine. Something in my belief in human goodness cracked open, and my survival instincts took over. I looked down on him because our blood flowed too closely together. At 22, becoming the best version of myself suddenly felt impossible, like I was already carrying inherited ruin.
But two years ago, I got the chance to tell him something different.
The same way I’ve seen both the best and worst in myself, I know my parents are a direct link to that too. And if I can recognize beauty, strength, creativity, endurance, and growth within myself, then they cannot be wholly broken in my eyes either.
Which means there is always greatness in us all even beneath the addiction, the mistakes, and the grief.
This is such a lovely compassionate poem, an acceptance of self . We can only make decisions based on our understanding, our feelings, our awareness and the situational setting at that particular time. It’s rare that people go out to f€&k things up for themselves , or make decisions that will come back to bite you or haunt you. I hope that these just aren’t words and that you have an inner peace that was missing before.
Beautiful honest poetry, Elliott. We can’t change what happened in the past, so we start from where we are now. We move forward from there. You are doing that so well it seems 💕
I remember the first time my father told me he had tried crack cocaine. Something in my belief in human goodness cracked open, and my survival instincts took over. I looked down on him because our blood flowed too closely together. At 22, becoming the best version of myself suddenly felt impossible, like I was already carrying inherited ruin.
But two years ago, I got the chance to tell him something different.
The same way I’ve seen both the best and worst in myself, I know my parents are a direct link to that too. And if I can recognize beauty, strength, creativity, endurance, and growth within myself, then they cannot be wholly broken in my eyes either.
Which means there is always greatness in us all even beneath the addiction, the mistakes, and the grief.
That’s incredible insight to have reached. I appreciate you sharing that with me.
This is such a lovely compassionate poem, an acceptance of self . We can only make decisions based on our understanding, our feelings, our awareness and the situational setting at that particular time. It’s rare that people go out to f€&k things up for themselves , or make decisions that will come back to bite you or haunt you. I hope that these just aren’t words and that you have an inner peace that was missing before.
thank you, I think today I finally do
Beautiful honest poetry, Elliott. We can’t change what happened in the past, so we start from where we are now. We move forward from there. You are doing that so well it seems 💕