there was a lot of death around the edges of night

she wandered the stairs

separate days

each one

 

the only way she knew the light had come was to call a friend to tell her the sun had risen

a dead tree hid the window

 

she dug at the corner fence

under the magnolia tree where he covered her boy in dirt

surely he buried a message in the palm of that dream 

saluting irony and messaging her grave 

 

“It’s been fun”

 

this is where he held her hips

this is where the thunder laughed

this is the stranger’s bed where she had too much makeup and a suitcase full of wigs

 

still 

 

     it felt like home

 

I want to go back and do it over but I wouldn’t be here if I did 

she sang to the ghosts in the hallway

the fire went out and one of them whispered tonic through the gilded heart in the den 

 

“Have faith, Baby. Have faith.”

 

your clothes are still on 

your stories are yours

you can hold up the roof with an empty moon

 

love has taken those twins by storm

doesn’t matter who 

or why 

or where they go

 

it

 

     will never leave

 

that

 

     is enough

 

let it be so

let it be so

​