regret

regret
and sorrow
are cold stones,
sharp pebbles
in one's mouth
that you can't spit out.
all day they roll
around,
biting at your tongue,
scraping against
the bones
of your teeth.
they can't be swallowed,
they won't dissolve.
someone else has to come
along and say open
wide your heart,
let me take it out.