Scarlet Letters
and other messy mistakes
Why are we so critical of growth-
of people evolving into versions of themselves
they didn’t even realize were possible,
of people learning to be better
and to do better?
It seems that society is so quick to pass judgement on others
heaven forbid mistakes are made publicly-
forever there will be a scarlet letter worn around that person’s neck,
forever they will be marked messy, unworthy, selfish, crazy;
An addict is expected to get clean,
but never to speak of their struggles,
they learn to be ashamed of their past
rather than be proud of how far they have come.
It feels dirty to clean up the mess they call life,
and we’ve been conditioned to throw our past selves away,
never looking back…
but how then are we to be a light to others
who feel lost and alone?
