The phone rings, I pick it up, and what do you say?

“Hi dear. Hi little. How was your day?”

But before I can open my mouth to give you an answer

Your mouth opens, and out comes the cancer

The darkness our family has been carrying around

The stuff we take with us into the ground

I don’t want to be trapped in this sticky, black mess

I want it to be enough that I confessed, there’s nothing left

This is the way that we transform our pain

And if you decide ultimately that you’d like to refrain

The saying out there, it becomes very true

You will not be able to mask or subdue

You must transform your pain or you can be guaranteed

It’ll be passed to the littles with lightning speed

As a promise we made and it’s written in the stars

If you don’t do it, they won’t get far

So pull up your boots and lift up your spirits

Lean in closer, make sure you can hear it

Your pain will tell a story about your old self

The one who’s willing to sacrifice their health

Filled with rage and compulsions, confusion and hurt

You’ll feel as if you’ve been tossed around in the dirt

Unworthy of love, you’ll curl right up

It’ll fall on you like bricks, it’ll feel abrupt

But hold on tight and loosen your grip

Trust that you’ll be safe but prepare to be flipped

You’ll gain new vision and need to locate the ground

You’ll have to open your ears and your heart to new sounds

Because once the heavy stuff comes up for air

You’ll be thrown into this deep pit of despair

And besides what you’ll gain, you’ll lose a whole lot

You’ll let go of things before which you sought

It’ll all become clear, and you’ll start to feel steady

You’ll have to pause and reflect before you’re ready

To go the next length, to write the next chapter

To pursue all of the things that you truly long after

So spend some time here, don’t rush along

And don’t forget to remind yourself daily: you belong