such carefully selected words

to speak heart language:

a new tongue

my sister
lost
a mother
a guider
a beam of light
through the dark night

how strange and beautiful
it is
to be
hu-man

dark strands of hair
like noodles
she spoke about
slurping soup
from her mama
till she was all filled up

ocean,
sand,
small piles on piles
creating
inverted tornadoes
twisters,
building grief

tiny knots in the stomach;
too tight for any more soup now

we whisper i love you to each other
it’s never enough
but you hear me
i, you.

i uh can’t stand

any more

i uh

need

i uh

need

release

from this binding grief
this worry

i uh

i uh will let you

now

just for now

just for mutual re lease
just for now
just for a moment
now
a whisper
now
a small muttering of
another

i love you

a kiss for you
for your
forehead
a kiss for your
cheek
your tender
heart

your eyes barely blinking
small butterfly flickers
of
consciousness
of rem
of little bows
of
receiving
the i love yous
we shower you
with

little nods of
i hear you
i love you, too

it’s ok.

i will
have to
go
now

you will
be safe
without fear
now

small whispers
of acceptance
tiny steps
through windows
sometimes doorways
sometimes revolutionary halls

i hear cheering of transformation
of soft
whispers
of courage
of courageous
moments repelling
me forward

tiny cheers
that
grow louder
no more whispers -
only
loud chants
saying

i live through you
bring me with you
live for me
i’ll see you soon

LUNGS

ORCHARD