Untitled Poem

by Rebecca Turner

The singe from a father turning his back.
The pit in your guts from the confidence you lack.
The pang of harsh words sent from a friend,
And the first heartbreak that never seems to mend.
You swallowed it like a pill.
Every ounce, no big deal. 
Incalculable pain of creating life.
The hollow sobbing from being an invisible wife.
The ball of barb wire collected so tight
From all the decisions made that were never right.
Seeing your children cry and you can’t save them a single tear. 
Watching your parents grow older each year. 
You swallowed it up without making a sound.
Keep walking so tall while your heart drags the ground. 
No wonder we change in our later years,
We women are salty from swallowing our tears.