Forgive and Forget
(A Cleave Poem)

forgive | forget
seventy times seven | and risk repeating history
for forgiveness is a virtue | for if we ignore
we forgive | the lessons of the past
not for others | we are the ones
deserving of forgiveness | who will suffer
but we forgive | the consequences
to set ourselves free | of our arrogance
from the bonds | doomed to repeat and learn
of the offense | the hard way
so we can | again and again
forget the pain | and hopefully, forgive ourselves

~kat

NaPoWriMo 2017 #30 – a Cleave poem for this, the last prompt, to write about something that happens again and again. 

(A Cleave poem is three poems in one. Read the first “column” top to bottom; the second “column” top to bottom and finally read each line across top to bottom.)