Orchard

Try to keep myself from going under, so to speak

I swore not to; keys digesting, locked behind my teeth.

Just outside the circle, drowning in the creek.

Longing for the past but it's not there for me to keep.

I'll let it be.

In my search for something meaningful, I lost my mind.

Lying motionless in space and falling out of time.

In my defense, it's getting hard to resurrect

my cells and all their memories

I sold myself on a damn good lie.

Love that I felt years ago;

I close my eyes and I still know

The scent of the willow and burn of the cement

I kept my secrets in.

Bleeding elbows and all summers I spent

I live still in that skin.

Am I supposed to wake up and face the day without remembering your grace?

Am I to blame for forgetting your voice?

Wouldn't hear it either way.