I Would Rather
I would rather you remember me
As sentence whose words could talk
the night right off the wide sky
the gloom right off your sad mouth
the black right off your thick hair
as you run your hands over my lips
and say hush
that’s enough.
I would rather you remember me
As a balloon because heat rises
Higher than Icarus ever soared before the fall
Higher than a worm journeying to heaven
Higher than a cloud of smoke laced with lightning
As you look up at the sky
And say fly
I know you can
I would rather you remember me
As the aftershock of an earthquake
That rips buildings right off the street
That cracks fissures through just-filled potholes
That shakes bodies that just don’t want to dance
As you steady your self
And say no
Not today
I would rather you remember me
As a child that couldn’t stop asking
Why those other places don't have winter
Why time quickens its step with each step
Why winds repel each other if they are the same
As you shake your head
And say because
I said so
I would rather you remember me
As a bird trapped in a human cage
Like a wave crashing against a cliff, my wings beat
Like a heart in a chest, my wings flutter
Like a canvas tent in the wind, my wings flap
As you wave your big arms
And say please
wait for me