Rotten Carrot Spoiled Bait and the Trap Stays Empty
It’s been a long time, I know, but
why don’t you let yourself
do things the hard way just one more time
for old times’ sake
Oh yeah, I’m just teasing you a little…
But come on, run your fingernail
under some of your ragged edges
shove your temper on stage like you used to
Throw out a performance
like it was a discontented dollar bill
in your purse
screeching curses. Anything to get rid of it.
Think about how good it felt
to get into a fight. Come on!
And do you
remember how much fun it was when
we got going and
you threw whole days out of windows and
turned them into arguments and bar fights and broken dishes
pulverized afternoons and weeping at night
frown lines and
What?
Not anymore?
But why?
and aren’t we friends these days
and how can you throw away
all the fun we’ve had together?
12/20/18
Claudia McGill Writes Poetry, Did You Know That? 
This degree of emotional turmoil is exhausting to deal with and must also be exhausting for the person expressing their feelings in such dramatic ways. I was just talking to some of my students (aged 3 and 4) about “big feelings” today.
I love that. “Big feelings”. What a great term. and I would have loved to hear your talk. I think I could use some talk on “big feelings” myself.
I am better at talking the talk than walking the walk sometimes.
Such a great title for a poem I was drawn in from the title!
Sometimes I think I like making up titles for poems the best of all of my writing activities.