Aria Houndz It
2023-03-06

***

"What's that word that means
to break away from something
in an attempt to become more free?"
Divest?
"Thank you, Jett.
You make my life so much more easy."

Divest. Now there's a funny word,
one so long ago I learned
and saw you take on in a curled-
up ball of stress
deep in your chest.
Purity Spiral, ever absurd
interpretations of how to avoid
needing to spend money while somehow still not in employ.
"Yes, this text-only interface
will somehow save me from my parents' disgrace."
Are you listening to yourself?
Or disconnected
in layers of abstraction?

Four hours straight of typing
but no time to go ten minutes biking
to the local bank to hide
your money from your mother's oversight.

Come on, Lethe, it's not like I'm asking
you to commit a crime.

It smells to me
like someone's avoiding
her responsibility.
Burst of energy
when trapped in pain's throes,
but after dust settles
too cowardly to go
and make yourself a little
more free.
Would you trust
me for once?
You and I
will be fine.
You made a promise to Luce.
Don't disappoint her this time.

***

CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 (c) Vane Vander