That’s The Moon by Valerie Parente
Look up high
at the night sky.
See that? That’s the moon
it’s not an excuse
it’s an explanation
to something complicated
something I don’t think I’ll ever fully understand
but when I break it down as a symbol I stand a chance
to make sense of the voice inside
this methodically mad mind.
Do you see that? That’s the moon
and it belongs to you too.
– Valerie Parente (6-16-2021)
The Key To Empathy by Valerie Parente
It’s not narcissism
it’s recognizing your pain
as it is a mirror
of my mental state.
It’s empathy
individualized
when I look
into your eyes.
I don’t reach this understanding
by thinking about my soul
I reach it
when I see you have your own.
– Valerie Parente (3-18-2021)
Self-Preservation by Valerie Parente
It’s not being prude
its self-preservation
it’s protecting thyself from everyone else
in an attempt to preserve
the life lessons I’ve earned
because what could be worse
than losing the individual I learned.
I swear, this fear of intimacy
is not a fear of what’s in me
it’s fear of a touch that might corrupt
everything I’ve ever dreamed of.
Because what happens when I open up?
Would it change the person I was?
I’ve spent a lifetime learning who I am
and I’m so deeply scared
of my worldview crumbling at another’s hand.
– Valerie Parente (1-3-2020)
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