Wondering What Could Have Been
by Lauren Taub Cohen
She grew up beside the rumble
of trains clamoring on tracks
and imagined that one day
she, too, would move beyond
the restraint of the reality
she was born into.
Dreams and desires
decayed beneath
the oppressive weight
of missed opportunities
and tiresome obligations.
Over time
resentment
fueled her fury.
I have heard that
suffering begets suffering
and I know this to be true.
It is enabled
by dismissive silence
and can only be relieved
when one turns toward
the wounds with
tender-hearted
attention.
Otherwise,
it insidiously slips into
the next generation
and the cycle of suffering
continues unabated
and undeterred...
