i tried..

I tried.. I tried.. I tried.. I understood.. I tolerated.. I bore the brunt of their unprocessed grief,
of their denial, of their conditioning.. I carried it for them as long as I could.. because
they weren’t ready — and maybe they’ll never be.. but that’s for them now, as it always was..
it was for them to hold, to carry, to grieve, to feel, to release.. it was always theirs but they
didn’t know how — I tried to show them.. they piled more on.. and left me with their.. their

I transformed their grief into joy, 

I transformed their hatred into motivation,

I transformed their pain into healing,

I transformed their hostility into imagination,

I transformed their sadness into creativity,

I did everything I could.. I tried.. until I couldn’t carry the weight any longer

I asked them to help pick up the slack

I told them I couldn’t shrink myself anymore

I tried

(Yes, you did.)

(you did everything you could)

(you did enough)

(you tried to show them how to transmute,

  you tried to show them how to be kind,

you tried to show them how to —

you were a child.. 

      they were supposed to take care of you

they were supposed to —

you did everything you could

you tried)

and that’s enough.