Secret Truths
On a porous ground of secrets
We connect annually over meals and familiarity
Chat monthly to ensure our routine remains
This is how we hold our family together
Watching the truth slowly seep out through notarized records
Through the mouths of children now old enough to repeat
Adult conversations heard decades ago
But never from those that bore witness
With enough information to repaint the scene
Always stopping short at a swell of emotion
That only adds substance to truth
Instead we hold on
Protecting the dead while suffocating the living
With unanswered questions like a skipping record
And the incomplete memories of a book missing pages
Glorifying legacy until only a distorted reality remains
We trudge through secrets
Not recognizing the weightlessness of truth
What are some secrets in your family? Is there shame or fear that keeps you or your family from discussing them?
Image via Sami Drasin, Darling Issue No. 22
