Anger

This anger I carry was once love,

now resting heavy on my shoulders and etched into my face.

It grew steadily over time—

time I devoted to someone I believed in so deeply.

With high expectations came crushing disappointments,

each one harder to endure than the last.

It took me far too long to accept

that some things will always be beyond my control.

Perhaps if I had learned that sooner,

I’d still have my smile,

instead of this simmering anger,

always threatening to spill over.