End Scene

A Poem

The body remembers things the brain tries to forget

Like the moment when you said the thing
That left a loose thread
Dangling from my sweater
I’ve been pulling it ever since
Hoping to unravel the hurt
But all it does is make the sweater fall apart

Some people call it self-sabotage
But really, it’s just me trying to untangle
The subplots in my mind
That keep me from the main story
Where I am the hero

They’ll tell you to forget it, to let it go
But you know it’s not that easy
Like identity theft
A scene stolen from a movie
I never watched

There are other moments
The ones normal people don’t seem to dwell on
But I do anyway
Like goofing off in the backyard, aware of the sun on my face
Quiet laughter
Feels like exhaling after holding your breath for years

You can be like a vending machine
Dispensing small moments of joy to yourself
A simple act of kindness
That feels like a bite of chocolate after a long day

Don’t let old tapes convince you they’re the only ones you own
There’s an entire library of films in your head
Some are documentaries of pain
But others are romantic comedies of resilience

Sometimes
The best thing you can do
Is sit there
And rewatch them all
To realize
That you are the main character
In every single one