Untitled September

In the quite hours of the night

We built you a driftwood coffin

Pieced together from grief

And often,

I’ve dwelled on those days when you sat beside me

In that small eternity

Where our hearts beat

Where our souls leeched

Where forever became a lie

There was,

No more heat from your body

No more words to spoken

Nothing left to utter

The heaving sighs beckoned

One quick push

It would all be over

Yet our scars would not allow it

They stretched and twisted

Dragging you back towards the shore

In our panic,

We dumped you onto the beach

Dried kelp, blistering

And took the coffin for ourselves

We all climbed inside

Mother atop son

Sister atop brother

Gasping for breath

We paddled ourselves away from shore

Bleeding until it was brown and wet

Trying to pound nails as we went

So it could all be over

Nothing would be left,

But love and a piece of rock.

A pleasant remembrance carved into its face,

Here they lay,

Here they rest.

Yet the waves would not allow

We drifted further away

Begging water to fill our lungs

Knowing it would never be the same

In the quite of the night

We built you a driftwood coffin

Pieced together from grief

And often

I’ve dwelled on those days when you sat beside me

Knowing forever is a lie