Each answer we give changes the path we take
Whether we say yes or no or nothing changes fate
And sometimes I think about the times
Where I should have said yes.
When I could have made things better
By following my truth, er rather
The truth
Letting myself free for things
That weren’t my fault
And accepting responsibilities
Like yes I can lead that project
Or yes, I can stomach College
In Chicago, far from family
With many student loans
To get a degree that I desired
My life would be quite different but maybe
I’d be happy… or worse
Maybe I’d still be sad, but alone this time.
What a fascinating world of probabilities – all hinging on one tiny word. What fascinates me most, however, is what seems to be the very heart of the poem – ‘By following my truth, er rather/The truth’ where there’s a vacillation between the truth as you know it to be and the truth you tell yourself. A really stunning moment of honesty that lights up the whole poem and brings such a layer of power to the lines that follow. Beautiful.