Today’s prompt: I didn’t like today’s prompt. Actually, I didn’t like any of the prompts I encountered today, until I got to the Writer’s Digest site, and the prompt for Day 7 of their PAD Challenge: write a self-portrait poem.

This particular poem is partly inspired by Frank ‘T.J.’ Mackey, the character Tom Cruise played in Magnolia. And I probably should have said this years ago…

NO APOLOGIES
(with apologies to P.T.A.)

I will not apologize
for who I am
I will not apologize
for what I want
I will not apologize
for how I feel
I will not apologize
because I don’t live up
to your expectations

I’m sorry—
I just won’t do it

(7 April 2014)