Member-only story
The Bag of Weight We Carry
A Poem
I remember when we were empty,
Just two dudes starting out,
Empty bags,
Empty expectations,
for a world so full.
I remember when two extra books,
Felt like being crushed by a boulder.
When the weight of the world
was something we joked about
because we hadn’t yet grown older.
Somewhere along the way,
The books began to pile,
The straps began to fray,
and we learned to carry burdens
We were never asked to take.
I remember when you first handed me yours,
how you looked so tired, so worn,
And I took it without hesitation,
As if my shoulders were made,
for everything you’d ever borne.
I told you, I want to help you.
You don’t have to carry it alone.
And for a while, we shared the weight,
made lighter by the thought that,
That neither of us would walk alone.
