Things I carry

The truth.
My shoulders back, head high and chin up.
Sole responsibility.
The final say.

The weight of secrets not my own.
False tales told with me as a supporting character.
Inside knowledge only a few believe.
The spectre of lies about which I am not yet aware.

M&Ms in a paper ice cream cup.
A handful of Swedish fish.
Organic lemonade in a plastic bottle.
A yellow binder filled with other people's memories.

Faith and doubt, in separate boxes.

Stones of betrayal.
A black and blue heart.
Breath-taking pain.
Buckets full of white hot tears.