I Cared

I cared once upon a time.
I cared what people thought about me.
I cared at the end of the day,
Who I was; what I wanted to be.

I cared about life.
I cared about the dead.
I cared about the future,
I cared about what I had read.

Once upon a time I cared, and
My compassion held no bounds, and
At the end of the day,
No one watched me.

I cared.
None can dispute this.
I cared.
No one cares about this.
I cared.

***

"At the end of the day,
I am who I am,
I am what I wanted to be.
And I cared."

I sat on the mountain steppes,
Deep, long, wide furrows,
Jump to place to place
To place to place,
Down to the next, and I ran to the edge.
"I CARED!
I AM WHAT I AM,
I AM WHAT ONLY I CAN BE!
I CARED!
I just don't anymore.
I just can't anymore."

I cared...
And I am broken.

ISA