If mary can do it

I give myself permission to write
about the small things. a trip
to the ice rink. the bus ride home.
cherry blossoms in full bloom. anything to feel
like I have anything at all to say.
my pen pal in Tokyo writes a book
and I find out through Twitter. it’s getting easier
to see the future. marriage and a kid,
two probably, unless I change my mind. I want
people to remember me. I want to write like she did.
focused, intentional, whole poems taken over by a flock of starlings
or a blade of grass. not this wild tangle of thoughts
all pressed in together. I would blame
the internet, but I think it’s just me. I want
to stop living through late-stage capitalism.
I want to do something about it
but without getting in trouble. I don’t care
what you say—I need to be good. tell me
about despair, Mary. tell me if, at the end,
you felt you had done more
than just visit.

“If Mary Can Do It” is featured in my debut book of poetry, Elegy for Opportunity (Wolsak & Wynn, 2025). You can pre-order here or at your favourite local bookstores!