I cannot release nor keep
I want to hang on 
I want to let go

I am a sweater caught on a nail
An unraveled sock
Where the material remains
 
But the shape has come undone
Looking backward and reaching forward
Is exhausting

I stand here with two faces
Leaving and staying
Turning in circles in the fading light


By Diane E. Dockum
©April 8, 2026