Catherine Heath
May 2020
You could be the most loving person,
Or the smartest person.
The wisest person,
Or the one who suffers most.
There are worse things
Than being she who sticks to her guns
(You make heroes that way).
I would die for my art,
And you would die for me––
That’s the way it should be,
With you and me.
Entranced by history;
Tragic couples
Who were together in death––
I get it now,
And I am grateful,
And also, I’m free.
You belong to me,
And I didn’t waste my life.
Slowly, slowly,
As the saying goes,
We inch towards the truth––
And life.
Then we find
That we had life all along
(Society crushed it out of us,
And we are the better for it––
Because we will learn to fight).
Men will die for a goddess––
And god tells them to do it––
Because they know she is their saviour.
I learned to handle my genius,
While every enemy was a teacher
(The devil was the best one),
But I always knew that.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
I didn’t need life to tell me––
But I got to go out,
And I got to be free,
And that will always be
Enough for me.
Life is a tragedy,
And we would not have it any other way––
Because tragedies are beautiful,
And they bring you
To me.
I don’t have a death wish––
I want life,
And truth,
And love,
And art––
And that’s why I would die for you,
Because I read it in a book.
(Virginia Woolf,
And Sylvia Plath
Both gave up on life)
So I would never do that;
I love them too much.
They inspired me to greatness,
Because everyone said they couldn’t do it––
So I knew exactly what to do:
Ignore absolutely everyone.
Why would anything ever change?
I know just what I want;
So I practice and practice,
Until I get it right.
I met him at a party;
I knew he was the one.
He was smouldering furiously
While everyone was laughing––
Instantly,
I was in love.
Men are born to greatness,
But women inspire them,
With their love,
And adoration;
There are worse things
You could spend your life doing.
I know genius when I see it,
Because you look like a monster––
And I only have eyes for you.
I know that much is true.
We crush men’s souls
Because we want to live forever––
But didn’t you ever read the one
About Will and Lyra?
I know I did;
And that’s how I know
I was born
Already in love.
Your parents are cursed;
She was born a writer––
And she also has a twin.
Don’t try to understand life;
You only understand when you look back––
And then it all makes sense,
So make sure you won’t have
Any regrets.
They were shouting
With a passionate fire––
It sounded terrifying,
Because that’s the sound
Of God himself.
Poor Ted Hughes;
Everyone hates him,
Because he nurtured a genius––
He only made the mistake
Of being madly in love;
And we’ll always
Remember him for that.
It’s lightning from heaven;
It’s your one moment
To change history,
Forevermore.
Timing
Is everything.
Credit: Photo by Austin Neill on Unsplash
