Originally written on June 2, 2022

Letters I would never send sit in my mind
occasionally I rewrite them
obsess over the exact wording
so you’ll know how you made me feel
the way you impacted my life
how you being you
made me less me
I want to write mean things to you
want to blame you for it all
to articulate it clearly
put it plainly
so there’s no misunderstanding
some of these letters have been collecting dust for decades
others only a few years
they all sit together
a disheveled pile that gets sorted through
when I want to feel bad
picking at the emotional scab
trying to prove to myself
what I don’t deserve
for long stretches of time they go untouched
unedited
unread
feeling free
feeling good
they are never completely forgotten