by Jenny Morelli
You’ve been through a lot
and if you have to hear
even one more time
that ‘it gets better,’
you’ll punch whoever says it
in the damn throat,
but since this letter
doesn’t have a throat
here it is,
from your future self,
the only one who knows
that Rusty, the current love of your life,
just told you
that he’s gay and you were
crushed
by your crush
who promised you weren’t
the reason as you cried yourself to sleep that night.
Also, that pact you made
With Kristen and Dana
about never getting married?
Yep. You’re the only one who broke that pact.
You marry an amazing man
and you’re still happily ever after
twenty years later.
Not bad, right?
So put away that picture
of Aunt Anne
and tuck away those toxic thoughts
of ending your life
the way she did. You’re better than that
and it does get better.
Yours truly,
your future self.
PS – You know how you hate school so much?
Well, I know you love English,
so, here’s some irony for you.
Against all odds
and all those C’s and D’s,
you become a teacher!
Not of little kids, you’re not a maniac
or glutton for punishment,
but for those like you
who’ve been through it,
those with whom you can share
your journey
so, they, too, can get through it.
***
Jenny Morelli is a high school English teacher who lives in New Jersey with her husband and cat. She is often either inspired by her students or else they're triggering memories in her of when she was young and struggling with her self-confidence. She has been published in a number of literary magazines, including Spare Parts for a novel excerpt, Spillwords for several themed poems, and Bottlecap Press for her own chapbook This is Not a Drill.
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