The Second Act

I don’t believe there is much on the subject of how jarring peace is. The constant self-reassurance that it’s ok to be ok, that there needn’t always be an emergency and it’s ok to just be.
But there might be. I didn’t bother to look.

I cannot love like I used to.
I have changed.
I cannot savor like I used to.
I have changed.
I cannot flavor like I used to.
I have changed.
I cannot appreciate like I used to.
I have changed.
I cannot squander like I used to.
I have changed.
I cannot stay bolted down like I used to.
I have changed.

I cannot be like I used to, I cannot sit idly by, I cannot rally around the hope and the subsequent grief, my wings burned from mere fractals of hazy sun.
I can only stare down the man-made man god and hiss defiantly a challenge to renew my hate but even he looks away.

I have changed.