Shame that blisters hardened skin
Bubbles to the surface from the past
Cracks beneath the crippled sun
Oily slicks where I once won
Cicada chorus across abandoned fields
Rusty swing sets in a whispered breeze
A symphony
Of all the failures that measure me
Shame that rises up in the throat
Choke down every lie I ever spoke
Red-hot iron brands me deep inside
Scarring everything that used to be
Distant ship’s siren across an empty harbor
Doors creaking on ancient hinges
A symphony
Of all the failures that measure me
Shame that pricks the back of the eyes
Tears of shame metastasize
Stream down my face and down my chest
Shame breaks my back and breaks my legs
Cartographer’s tool scrapes away the flesh
Screams of mapping bend the memories
A symphony
Of all the failures that measure me
*
