BURDEN

by Kathy Duby


If you recall
the incest,
the act,
in brutal detail
you carry that weight
ever after,
lose your potential,
always a job
never a career
always a para
never a pro
underachiever.
could you carry it?
you would not last
a minute but
I've done it
seventy-six years now.
if ya think
I'm crazy
be grateful
it ain't worse.


* * * * *

Kathy Duby lives in northern California and has been writing poetry for over 60 years. Her poems spring from the heart, or from voices in the head, or from the gut. Those from her heart are lyrical, those from her head arrive fully formed, narrated by the inner voice, those from her gut address the harsh topics of incest and child abuse. Poetry is her favored form of expression. Others include collage art, altered books, humor, and fiction.