The Second Before the Damage

Rewriting Memory

They say you should always choose your words carefully
Or you may encounter another person’s wrath
I wanted to hurt others intentionally
And my choice of words sent us on a different path

I heard myself say it calmly but with anger
In the heat of the moment I just didn’t care
My emotions were in a state of languor
My devotion astray had been unfair

The second before the damage ticked like a bomb
All the events leading up were like tiny cracks
I held the safety pins in between my palms
My words were the last straw that broke the camel’s back

I know what I did was harsh and for that I’m sorry
It’s the old adage of two wrongs don’t make a right
What’s left is nothing but a debris field of dirt
In a world of hurt that left us all contrite