I have a gift for you
it’s bold and glaring
sharp with jagged edges
it’s traveled thousands of miles
through every square inch of my body
it has memorized the map of my mind
coursed through my blood
and spilled onto everything with every cut
it’s been fine-tuned like a grand piano
and beautifully played in concert halls
as well as in bars and gutter drains
it has been hidden in the farthest reaches
and displayed like art on walls
it has been drowned out like cries
in a soundproof room
it has been shouted from rooftops in tongues
it has been reflected in every facet of my life
whether I’ve liked it or not
I’ve carried it begrudgingly
like extra weight on a slight frame
or like excess baggage that can’t be checked
I’ve had it forever it seems
but I want to give it to you
because it’s rightfully yours
my anger.

© Crystal S. McDonald.