Smile. Put on a bright face
I say and you ask why
should feelings be shelved
shifted like leftovers
to the back of the fridge
not good enough for company
only for quiet lonely lunching
a secret warmed-up snack
when no one is there
to see
PAD Chapbook Challenge Day 27: a leftovers poem.
Graceful Press Poetry 
This really hits me. Very true.
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It’s such a difficult balancing act. Thanks for your comment.
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Oh, heart wrenching. I hope I remember this as my son grows into those years. Thank you for the reminder.
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My kids are very good at making me reassess my parental platitudes. 🙂
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By the way, this poem started when I was thinking about your comment, elsewhere, about how we try to put a hopeful spin on our work.
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That’s neat! I love it when conversations stick with me and inspire new thoughts. Thanks for sharing that extra bit of background:)
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Very good analogy, and so poignant too. What is it about solitary snacking that is so sad?
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Thanks, Jane. It’s that feeling of furtiveness, maybe?
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I think eating alone is sad anyway, sneaking stuff out of the fridge even more so. You’re probably right about the furtive aspect.
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Love this. Why do we always act like the uncomfortable stuff is not real enough to get attention?
The way you use the leftover metaphor is sublime.
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Thank you. We do try so hard to look bright for the world, when those darker feelings are perhaps more needful of being acknowledged. Or at least, equally deserving.
It was an odd conjunction, the PAD prompt coming on the same day I had been thinking of this feelings stuff.
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I was recently at a yoga retreat and all the teacher talked about was being willing to ‘dwell’ with the bad. She was quoting Descent of the Goddess — something like ‘holding the wisdom of isolation and bitterness’. I have been trying to wrap my head around it the last two months. I think it is correct, but I am not sure what it means really. 🙂
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