Pike Oil

When I think about the trajectories of our lives

I remember our past selves planning our combined futures

And though we are not together, neither emotionally nor geographically

I feel it has worked out exactly as we planned

Because we will die apart

Having constructed new stories with our current partners

So that they will bear the brunt of our individual downfalls

Thus suffering from decades-long bonds now broken

Bonds inevitability garnered through hard-fought trust and caring

All of which our past selves have no stake in

The heavy lifting having been done by others

Our future selves never having been in on the joke

Draw a circle and write your name in the center. Yup. You're a narcissist.