Poem: There Were Chances

There Were Chances

to step forward,
to be clear
about what was seen,
to hold out the past
and show it was no longer
placed in shadow, but
could be looked at,
that the jagged corners
would not hide in darkness,
to accept
a role in all of it,
to be aware, to carry
the blame, to say
"this is mine,"
but those chances
do not remain,
are not taken
often enough.

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