No grudges

I had been wronged, of course I was upset

That is all I could think about, I could not forget

I wanted retribution, or reparation maybe

Or at the very least, a sincere apology

I would tell everyone about the injustice I had faced

People usually agreed that my anger was well-placed

Most extended empathy, some counseled me to let go

But the hurt ran deep, whether I could forgive, I did not know..

*

I carried the grudge in my heart for years

I poured my sob story into every willing ear

Slowly it dawned on me that I was being shunned

On deeper self-examination, the realization left me stunned

That holding on to the grudge had left me full of bitterness

I had let myself decay slowly in this process..

The person who had wronged me was no longer around me

It was time to forgive and move on finally..

*

To let go of anger required a ceremony

I wrote a letter forgiving my (mostly imaginary) enemy

And set it on fire, letting my grudge burn down

My burden turned considerably lighter, I found

*

So many years of my life I had spent

In futile bitterness, but from now on my intent

Was to forgive freely, so that I could set

Myself free from anger, even if I did not forget