Oh, wrinkles.

That first line is magic, Mel. Gorgeous.

So few words, but so much power. I respect these little pieces enormously.
Great write. All the best,
Ben

Okay, back to write a proper comment, because the wrinkles one was just to keep myself reminded to come back to this.

Tying your past to anywhere on your body means you've not quite gotten over it yet, but your ankles are one of the farthest things from your mind and your heart, so maybe you're working on letting it all behind. It can't be your feet, because you won't walk on your past - you will learn from it. Ankles are an important piece to your body, a connection even, and you seem to be taking what has happened in your life, even with the stress and the aging it can bring, and attempt to learn from it.

Your poetry is always so self aware, even if you aren't aware of that, and I love it. I love the shortness of this poem, but the length in the pacing. This was dramatic, yet soft, a hustled whisper even. Love, love, love this!

Okay, back to write a proper comment, because the wrinkles one was just to keep myself reminded to come back to this.

Tying your past to anywhere on your body means you've not quite gotten over it yet, but your ankles are one of the farthest things from your mind and your heart, so maybe you're working on letting it all behind. It can't be your feet, because you won't walk on your past - you will learn from it. Ankles are an important piece to your body, a connection even, and you seem to be taking what has happened in your life, even with the stress and the aging it can bring, and attempt to learn from it.

Your poetry is always so self aware, even if you aren't aware of that, and I love it. I love the shortness of this poem, but the length in the pacing. This was dramatic, yet soft, a hustled whisper even. Love, love, love this!

It's so impressive how you can reveal so much in such a short piece of poetry.

It is very interesting that you use ankles. You imply that it is something that you are still pulling along behind you. But also, that it's something that you maybe haven't dealt with entirely, that it is still weighing on your life and affects you greatly as you tug it along but you choose not to think about it (even though it is doing harm to you - that you are aware of) because it is 'behind you'.

It's interesting how our lives are impacted the moment we are born by our situation and circumstances. That our past is something that can forever affect us if we don't deal with it, or even if we do depending on the situation...

I know that I basically said what Britt's comment did in a sense. But I had to comment anyway. The poem made me feel all think-y and reflective. It also hit something inside of me...

Anyway, I really like this piece, again, it's impressive.

Much love,
Alexandra

This piece has such a deep meaning that many people can relate to because we all have some baggage of some kind whether it be bad or good, little or big.
I like how you can write so much in such a short piece too.

I have tied my past to my ankles.
^^
This opening line is very powerful and says alot because you have tied your past to a part of your body which to me (like many of us) says you cannot or will not let go of it but that's alright because it makes us who we are today. If we didn't have a past we wouldn't have a future, right? Although, i feel that because it's furthest from your mind you are trying to forget it but it's got a hold on you.

Birthed from a frail mother
and a lay-a-hand-on-her father,
I always knew my forehead
would age quickly
^^
This stanza as given us the reason to why your past is actually tied to your ankles because what happens to us within our lives always impacts our futures. No matter how hard we try to forget things and put them to the back of our minds or out of our lives they are always going to be in our subconscious especially if they are something that have hit us hard.

All in all a wonderful, thoughtful write that's very meaningful especially to you.

Take care, Em