if I had been able to hold onto every insult, slight, and injury forever

I would have been buried under the weight

instead, I was allowed to hold them for their individual lifespans,

like candles

observing the shadows they cast, their ability to burn

but wax melts and wicks expire

so does the power of such transgressions

but I mark the spots where each of them smoldered

and remember what not to ignite, who not to invite, and where to avoid

I keep a list