I will never be like you
I said
And you smirked
“Whatever you say”, you said
As you turned away
And then brought the iron bar down
Again, and again, and again
For years.
Now I fit. Now, I look straight ahead.
I am wiser now
That’s what you tell me.
Sometimes, though
When I pass that tree
I trail my fingers over the smooth bark.
I feel the initials.
Mine
And another’s
And I catch my breath.
And I despair.