I keep them tucked away
deep in the depths of my closet
beneath treasures and trinkets I can't
bring myself to discard
They're the ones who didn't make the final cut
were not awarded a shiny plastic pouch
not worthy of a protective slot
in my cherished photo album
but like a tarnished trophy
won countless years ago
I keep them within reach
but never reach out
they're stationed in a shoebox
delapitated, bound by tape
jumbled together like thoughts of drunks
unmarked, not labeled
a record of accomplishments
or failures, depending how you view it
but each unique
a contribution to my current psyche
This one here told good jokes
I still recite them now and then
That one unleashed my inhibitions
and him? Oh he took me snowboarding
though I'm still not very good
Collectively they were a prologue
lessons in who (and who not) to date
they shaped my expectations
helped me find the right ratio
of doormat to bitch
by now I thought I was ready
thanks to those who sacrificed themselves
to prepare me for you
so this time I wouldn't fuck up
No - I'd never put you in there with them
never chalk you up as
another lesson learned
they all have one thing in common
the status of having been lost
but I knew you were different
I'd never leave you to cardboard confinement
I'd get it right this time
treat you as a person, not a picture
you're a piece of the perfect pair
I'd keep you in sight, shimmering gleaming
never have to specify
glossy, matte, or four by six
you'd never become part of that heap
this much I knew from day one
I just never anticipated
You putting Me away
unexpected, it happened
I have been banished, forgotten
slipped into the pile
my screams, my tears,
the memory of me
trapped by the lid of your ex-
girlfriend box