You were the most gentle friend.

You were not comforting, but
your skin and hair and body were soft,
smooth, soothing to the touch.

You never seemed to understand
what you were doing wrong
until you had already done it,

and as much as you want to please,
you more often end up fumbling
to find an excuse for the things you do
and worse, the things you don’t do.

Pivot, I said.

If you don’t change things,
if we can’t change things between us,
if we can’t turn them around and
start our way down a whole different road,
we’ll fall.

We’ll go crashing down the stairs,
and I’m the only one who’ll be smart enough
to tuck and roll, so when I get to the bottom
I can stand back up again.

Pivot, I said.

Over and over.

Pivot.

Pivot.

PIVOOOOOOOT.

Inspired by the Writer’s Write October prompts | Photo by Jimmy Chan