Remembering The Way

Written by Emilee Trudo

I gather my boots

my coat

flashlight

all the essentials

exploration

it’s time

I find the map

study it

what rough terrain

steep mountains

wild waters

the journey ahead

strenuous, but worthy

necessary for survival

and prosperity

I used to not have to take such precautions

when venturing to the depths of my heart

before the wounded soldiers took over

before their dictators mistook my dinner invite

as a real-estate purchase

and moved all their families

and belongings

horses and maids

and nestled right in

before I came to love and care for them

before I taught them

and nurtured them

back to wholeness

before I let myself become so intertwined in their toxicity

fighting a battle for them they didn’t even believe in

offering so much of myself to them

to heal them

raise them up

and all it did was tear me down.

Before all that

it wasn’t so difficult to travel to my heart

So with all my gear

my perseverance

fortitude

I start the trek to my heart

to write her stories

dry her tears

and feel her love.