Poetry by Nadia Gerassimenko: dolores forgives

dolores forgives
in english class they’ve taught you
to conjugate & then apply but,
never question or dissect—
how one whole word
can become two
can have a meaning
so far apart.
how word forgot / forget
becomes for got / for get.
how i forgot to love you
for i got your heart
& you’re mine
forever / for ever.
how i can’t forget
for i never got
back my heart
altogether / all together.
how word forgive / forgave / forgiven
becomes for give / for gave / for given.
forgive me
forgive me
forgive me
you cried wolf
always / all ways.
i forgive
i forgive
i forgive
not you, not ever
forever never.
i’ll give new meaning
to forgiving.
i forgive me
for the love hardly given
i forgive me
for the love i gave away freely
i forgive me
for all i still mistakenly give
& i give me
all i ever needed.
i’m all ready, already
beginning to forget.