your flawless entry

by Turtledove

You bounded upstairs
and I begged you not to.

I ran ahead
determined
to clean my mess up.
to clean myself up.

As you waited outside the door
I wondered why I even bothered
in the first place

What was I going to change?
What was I going to fix?
What was I going to hide in the closet?

Because you were probably going to find out
sooner or later.

I couldn't stop once I started.

But I wonder what you would've done
if you'd seen it all

I should've let you go.
Run upstairs, boy.

Opening the door,
getting pinned with my past

I'd like to see
if you would've stayed
despite all my dirty laundry.