A pad challenge response from Linda M Crate

no night sky without darkness
memories are occasionally
a tragedy,
i think my mom thinks i want
to be sad sometimes;

but i don’t really choose to be—

sometimes my brain takes a
trip to memory lane,
and all i can think of are the things
which hurt me;

there’s love and light in my life
but those echoes seem too soft

in comparison with all the hurt i
have either have had to face
or overcome—

memories last forever,
the impact of words and deeds
matters;
and i will not apologize for the way
i process things—

there would be no night sky
without a bit of darkness,
but i won’t let the darkness swallow
all of my light.
-linda m. crate