Itus and Itis Crashed my party I didn’t invite them! I whisper to my sister They make my skin crawl

A noisy restaurant Listen Focus Beyond the dishes The music

I look away Afraid to see Flicker of nerves In their eye A clench

I cannot apologize For writing what I feel inside If it is hard to read It is harder to live I will understand

When I think of my mom I think of malt o meal muffins When I think of my dad Memories of a child Chasing us around the circle

Rough day Rough night If I could live In my bath Water would never

I had it all In my head And then I said Words I do not know which ones

Hospitality To love a stranger It need not be much For one who has little Will appreciate it

I wallow in my sadness As it pools up It has not swallowed me Who floats above its surface This surface

I’ve known Deep inside All along My value That I matter

The news hit me Like a punch in the gut I threw up two times From the pain Knowing that I

I told everyone About you The ugly beast Inside of me You can’t hide

The passive-aggressive Guilt trip Is a weak tool For your purpose The sensitive