The problem was never her.
Rather, it was the version of her,
that I’d created in my head.
The one that was perfect,
that could do no wrong.
Of course I tried,
to live up to that perfection but
I never could so I kept going,
kept trying,
kept pretending
to be everything I thought that she
was. Everything I thought that she
wanted me to be.
And if she’d never let me see
the real her
I’d still be hanging on, still
trying to be that persona-
Instead of beginning to live my life.
Instead of learning to be the me
behind the mask.
4/12/24
Karen McCaskey 