Straightening My Hat

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “hat.” Use it literally or metaphorically. Have fun!

Hat down low over my eyes
To hide the fact that I cry
Strength doesn’t lie in the façade
I know
But I shield myself from the questions
As to why
Sometimes I don’t know
My heart just overflows
Needs a rinse of the toxins that came in
Other times I could fill that hat
With all the salty tears that I spill
When my heart is breaking
And my chest can’t find any air
I know
They say that I’m so emotional
And that might be why I hid
But not anymore
I’m looking up and straightening that hat
Yes my eyes are shining with feelings
But this is who I am
And if it is too much for you
Then feel free to look away
Because I’m not hiding anymore
I’m affected by a sad movie or story
I absorb emotions that are not my own
And sometimes I need to get rid of them
And I’m no longer sorry if it is in a way
That you can’t manage to deal with
But these washing drops are clearing my system
Of noxious energy that could breed and infect
Causing disease to flourish
In the ocean I bottled inside
So I’m flushing my system
You’d better watch out
If you can’t handle tears
Then don’t hang about

Debbie Gravett © 2022.05.14