What I've Kept

Today's prompt is simply "What You've Kept". I think I might do this as a poem. Which means excusing word limit but this feels more poemy to me so....I hope you like it. 

What I've Kept

I've kept the feelings you gave me locked up in a jar
You know, the kind you put homemade chocolate sauce in that seals tight
I keep it on the shelf with my regrets and my loss
and sometimes, I take it down just to take a breath
I find it reminds me of a different time
and of the person I used to be

I've kept the memories we accrued in the closet
You understand, after all, those are the ones that hurt
Sometimes the laughter follows me down the hall
and I have to wrap myself up in the arms of my new lover to forget
But it's the bad bits that bite
The ones I tried to tie down and tape their mouths shut
But that still get me every once and a while when I reach for the broom
Those are the ones I hate

I've kept my own feelings for you in the open
You remember, the ones you didn't like in the end
I don't parade them, but rather I tuck them into frames
and peer at them to remind myself of who I've grown into
It's like looking at a child's painting
Love, unconditional and bright in shades of blue and pink
then struggle and pain slashed across in black and red
I don't mind others seeing it
It's a part of who I am
Even though I know you wouldn't like it if you saw

I've kept the bits of me you broke
They're in my nightstand drawer
Sometimes I pull one out and try to fix it but it's useless
I have no place for those pieces now, anyways
I've rebuilt, you see
so after a few feeble attempts I tuck them back into the drawer and shut it
Sometimes, it's just not worth the effort
And then, I go about my day