the paper told me to own my fear
own it the way it has owned me
and cradle it
give it a name in capital letters
then take it apart
piece by piece
bit by bit
shred by shred
until it's impact on me is like a spec of dust-
then when i'm done
hang it's memory on my walls
in my car
in my mirror
so that when it comes back
i know who it is
what it looks like
where it came from
and keep it at bay
like water to oil
with the oil on my skin
keep it at bay
as the piece of art that i turned it into
one day at a time
throughout the years
until it becomes
nothing
but
little...
