My Cardboard Balcony

I Am Alive by Belinda Roddie I am alive! And finally, I'm free. I can relax for the first time in weeks, and while I never feel fully at ease, I say some sunshine in skies mostly bleak. I feel like I can run a marathon and still have energy to strike a pose. I can remember good dreams, carry on fun conversations, and create strong prose. I can, at long last, feel my heartbeat slow as I descend to a deep, calming sleep, and yes, while circumstance has helped, I know the other cause is company I keep. Yes, my love, you, too, are responsible for my delight. You are so beautiful.

I will never fly a plane. I will never shoot a handgun. I will never build a spaceship that propels me to the edge of Jupiter and back. I will never bake a wedding cake. I will never fix any of my mistakes. And I will never regret finally saying goodbye to you. Because you never tried to learn. And you never tried to love. And you never seemed to remember just how much, for you, I gave up.