See You Later

you are like a slammed door

By the tempest winds

and I almost trip

running to hold it

sometimes from the hands

of the father

or the mother’s before she

had her hands cut off

or the hands of the lover

whose love you can’t

reciprocate

you read one of my poems

say it never makes sense

it still matters

why I still am

I break it down for you

till your eyes well up

did you understand why my marigolds turned orange

or were you upset yours stayed yellow?

and I choose the latter

the door, it keeps swinging

in my head

I can hear it from my shower

or when I’m 6 feet under

eating soil like an earthworm

you rained on this place

I slip out to the surface

you put salt and I squirm

so, you don’t squish me with your boots

and take me everywhere with you

you knock

I open it

just enough ajar

to see me trailing off

no more warm welcomes

no more winds

but I always say

see you later, alligator

to make you laugh