A new life
requires a death;
otherwise, it is
just a shuffling
of the same dull deck,
fifty-two cards we inherited
from our fathers,
adhering to rules relayed
before we were born.
Here we are now,
all that detritus
drifting into our eyes;
smoldering ashes,
combed back with a stare.
Anger should be respected,
even when it isn’t shared.