I Hope…
that death feels like jumping into a lake.
standing on a wooden dock
the wind tracing your arms with goosebumps
giving you an encouraging push forward.
you look at the murky water, and your stomach flips
because you can't see what lies beneath.
the sun is setting on the chilly yet inviting water
behind the trees surrounding the lake
that used to make you afraid of the unknown.
they watch, patiently
waiting.
your mother, only a few yards away in the deep
notices your hesitance
so she reaches out and calls to you in a loving voice:
it's ok sweetheart, don't be scared of the water.
you give one last glance to your friends on land
all lined up
ready to watch the plunge.
so you take a deep breath and back up
telling yourself that it's okay to go.
and then
you're off.
bravery building in your legs
as you pick up speed on the slippery dock,
family cheering you on as you fly.
for a few moments, the world spins in color,
and glorious weightlessness
lifts your body before you hit the water.
you land in the arms of your mother
with droplets of water racing down your face.
you smile.
she squeezes you close as she tells you
there you go, I knew you could do it.
No Sonnet of Greater Woe
I'll be the rash rush of youth,
the brush of lips & bend in arms.
I'll be the chilling truth,
hidden behind treacly warmth.
I'll be the consuming need in his eyes,
fingers entangled in hair.
I'll be the all-knowing sky,
lit with pastel blendings of despair.
I'll be the dreadful demand in the elixir,
the bottomless night in her sleep.
I'll be the poisoned promise to find her,
waiting for his love in the deep.
I'll be the rising terror following his last breath.
I'd even be the knife, to follow someone into death.
