on days such as today i am certain that my

uncertainty is where it all went wrong

what are the ways in which i can make failure sound graceful

make it something to be proud of

how many stanzas does it require to add rhythm to this offbeat day

my pen stands still

because no matter how i dot my i’s or cross my t’s

these tears still flow from my eyes

my daughter rubs my arm

i can tell she’s confused

tears followed by bursts of anger would confuse anyone

but that’s how fast i knew i needed to slow down

that’s how quick it was to fail my kids today

to have a way with words and still unsure of how to use them

she continues to rub my arm

she comforts me for losing my cool

when she’s older i’ll tell her the story of the imperfect being

who meant well but didn’t always know the way

who worked hard but didn’t always know the limits

who loved harder than can be described but also made mistakes

until then i’ll hug her tightly

or maybe i’ll rub her arm until she falls asleep

reassuring her that my arms are still her safe space

and once she’s down for her nap i’ll call the doctor to

discuss these meds that still aren’t working