Molasses

A poem by Julia R. DeStefano

Photo by Sonja Langford on Unsplash

Molasses

“There’s strength in vulnerability,”

she told me -

though the words rarely resound in my mind

until I’m in the thick of their stickiness,

like drowning in molasses.

A boa constrictor

wrapped ‘round the throat.

Squeezing mercilessly to let me know

that my beloved words no longer matter.

I wish I could find you in some small space -

tell you again how -

whether in or out of a pandemic,

the silence is deafening to me

because it’s the words

suddenly withheld

that bring on heartache

when left to fester

and trip over themselves.

That the days, though full,

become so raw I can hear snow falling.

That this hurts me deeply

because we’re so close.

But I guess I just did,

and that is strength in vulnerability.

© Julia R. DeStefano