lost boys

_ still a boy inside
convinced some secret ceremony
in my absence
conferred certainty
onto the men around me

years spent
playing dress-up
work clothes, game face
pretense & persona

shame
& self-blame
my fucked-up childhood
my emotional walls
my scattered intellect
__the damage
in my wake
daddy, what happened?
daddy, don’t forget me…

fumbling and earnest
a well-intentioned toddler
tripping over clothes too big
breaking glasses
hearts
and promises
with every faltering step
 
_

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