Poem to Lil

Seeing me on the sidelines

She stepped out of the parade

Placed herself in front of me

Looked me in the eyes,

Her mouth, a sneer

Said, what happened to you --

You used to care about making a difference

More activist than archivist

More marcher than watcher

---

It was me -

I thought, I can't be in two places at once but

There I was staring me down

Haughty, self-important

As if her parade was the only one with a band.

I don't march in other people's parades, I said.

I start my own.

Not lately, Lil snapped back.

Who do you think you are, criticizing me? I said.

---

Well get with a program. Lil said, Any program.

I lost my footing and fell into her.

Even when the ground is shifting, she said, you still have to stand on it.

---

I told Lil to cool her jets, to chill.

You're creating a dualism, I said.

Reject the binary.

---

Easy for you to say, Lil said back.

Who do you want to be? Now. That. You. Have. A. Chance.

---

You've got a point, I said.

The Venn Diagram of me and me should be one huge overlapping circle.

---

Go back to your parade, I said to Lil.

I'll catch up. Soon.

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My Bifurcated Life

Inspired by mivasairski's dream about running into an angry version of himself and having a fight.