the heavy box of us

we stand in line with our
box
of problems.
the line is long, the window
is small,
the hours short to
to get in
and whine about things.
slowly
we move along.
it's a heavy box.
a load.
we've been carrying so much
of it
for so long.
since childhood.
a whole hot mess of trouble,
blame, shame,
all the things that
people have done us wrong.
relationships, love
and marriage.
dying. work. children.
parents.
all the lies
all our sins, all our misgivings.
we want to set it
down, this heavy burden.
but for some reason we
can't, it's who we are.
our story.
it's what defines us
as we bend to its weight
and carry it around.
no one can ever help us,
because our hands are full,
holding tight to our
troubles. the heavy box
of us.