I used to 
believe
kindness and concern
for our neighbors
were common
American virtues

I used to
trust
knowledge and wisdom
from stable sources
steered
sound decisions

I used to 
know
safety and success
were shared standards
we built
together

I used to

think

What I Used to Write This Poem…

Anaphora: I repeated “I used to” because I wanted the poem to feel familiar and steady. Once that pattern was established, breaking it at the end carried more weight.

Enjambment: I split the sentences across short lines to slow the reading. Letting words like believe, trust, and know stand alone gave each one a little more weight.

Free Verse: I didn’t worry about rhyme or meter. I wanted this to sound like someone quietly thinking out loud rather than performing a poem.

Lament: I wasn’t mourning a person. I was mourning the loss of confidence in things I once assumed were true: neighborly virtue, trusted knowledge, and the idea that safety and success are things we build together.

Volta: I built the poem toward the final two words: “I used to / think.” Stopping before finishing the sentence leaves the thought unresolved.

Lineation: The final two lines invite you to finish the sentence yourself, but they also stand alone as a quiet confession. I liked letting both meanings exist at the same time.