Secrets

she was many things
but never comfortable
in her own body,
the enemy,
with it’s own mission
to confound.
she encouraged others
shared her struggles
notebooks with one or two
pages filled
then put away
life swept into a box.
in one, the secret
never talked about
but the page and a half
survived longer than she.
now the depression
makes sense
and I don’t want it to.
her secret
now my secret.

©2023 Kenneth W. Arthur