i carry the pain that i caused
tossed and torn
like shipwrecked wood
tangled between the waves
i caused the pain that i carry
drifting away from me
with every step i take
towards joy
i carry the pain that i saw
eyewitness to the storm
to the heartbreak
in the eye of the storm
tossed and torn
like a ship caught between
the rocks
of a past painted in pain
dripping regret
into a sea of guilt
now i carry it all
towards joy
Louisa Celine Klatt
Louisa (she/her) is a 29-year-old PhD researcher at the University of Galway who is originally from the North of Germany and loves cinnamon rolls almost as much as writing. Her poem “fall storms” has been published by New Word Order (Issue VII). She is currently working on a multidisciplinary research project that combines creative writing, constitutional law, and social science methods.