"Leaf Drop" by Brittney, 17 | July 2019

“We will talk about it soon”. But, when is soon?
Your soon could be forever for me.
I’ve always been a bit of a worrier you see,
And I tend to measure my minutes in eternity.
It is surely not what I choose to be,
But the shackles of time won’t set me free.
So tell me, when can I rest?
I’m being patient, doing my best
I jump through your hoops, did I pass the test?
All of this waiting for nothing at all,
You’re not the same person, I wish I didn’t call
Been so long since I’ve seen you last fall,
And everything changed in a time-space so small.
You want freedom to leave and just come
back whenever
I want to give you space but only so much
I can endeavor.
I want to do what I can for you, do anything
and whatever,
But I can’t stay in this dark night, this harsh weather.
Won’t wait while you decide,
Your tricks are so clever.

About Brittney: "My name is Brittney Joy, Joyous, to my friends. I come from a family of semi-truck drivers and spent most of my younger life on the road. I’ve traveled to 48 states, my Mom and Dad owned their own business and I was in the truck since I was two weeks old. Today, I live in a small town in the UP with my mom, and my cat. My Dad passed away on a January morning, but I still feel him with me in my journeys throughout. I came to Northwest Passage when I felt all my joy had run out, and I no longer held hope for a brighter future. Through my stay at Passage I’ve had to face a traumatic history and the unforgiving hold of drug addiction. However, through my stay, I’ve also learned I have abundant qualities like poetry, photography, and also the ability to be a reliable friend, and a loving daughter. With the help of my Mom and a variety of encouraging supports, I’m learning to be more than the disruptive thoughts inside my head, more than a reminiscent vessel stuck in the past on things I cannot change and things I would die to do again. I can devour each moment as it comes, and bid it goodbye when it goes; I can be whole."