Happy Birthday 

The way I thought always meant forever,
is the most embarrassing

The way you taught me silence
– to not trust the beats of my memory,
is the most cruel

The way you walked away when I said please
and fell
to my bleeding knees,
is the most unmerciful

The way you pushed me on that rusted merry-go-round
until I was too dizzy to see the moon,
break speed,
is high treason

The way you said that I asked to be spun
is a legacy
that you can leave to your children

The way I tried to make you laugh while
suturing my own heart,
is a secret –
an ode to the words, ‘you’re what I want’

You’re what I want,
an echo chamber of mistakes

I don’t know if mistakes can be juiced
but mine drip like the plums of summer
bitten too late


Nagmeh Phelan is a human who lives in Toronto, Canada. She loves slow walks by the beach, sunsets and puppies. Her work has appeared in Room, Queen Mob’s Teahouse, Minola Review, The Fiddlehead, and more. Find her @somesomersaults

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