For Thursday October 13 2022 On Yom Kippur revised Jill

[jill stockinger]

I changed the third stanza. Thank you, Nedra!  -Jill

On Yom Kippur            by Jill  Stockinger

    

When my parents died,

I thought I’d finally be

free of their continuous

stream of accusations.

Foolish me.

 

Though long dead,

their shrill voices fill my head

 with their toxic negativity;

their caustic criticism

still corrodes my feelings

of happiness and self-worth.

 

Today is Yom Kippur,

Day of Atonement,

but I do not forgive them.

They never forgave me.

 

Compounding my problem

is the guilt I feel for not being

strong enough or good enough

to forgive my parents,

adding my own shame to the

weight I carry of their blame.