the art of apologising
i enter the house warily.
slip out of my ego,
carefully hang it on the coat rack.
wash my hands of the litany
of passive-aggressive replies.
cradle a bouquet of clichéd words,
tried and tested i’m sorries
interspersed with it’s me, not you.
a delayed first-aid kit to
nurse the open wounds.
i wonder if i should have
brought reinforcements
in case the situation worsens.
throwing stars etched with
counter-accusations,
grenades of petty anger,
liable to explode at
the slightest of affronts.
tourniquets to stem the bleeding
of broken promises that line my path.
but today, i bring a message of peace.
drop my hurt and resentment
to let my shoulders straighten.
turning the page to herald
a new dawn of honesty.
i sew remorse into the soft curve
of my smile.
line the hems of my dress with
weighted calm.
i crumple the bouquet,
pluck my own arrangement
from the garden,
and walk in with
my heart on my sleeve.