Catherine Heath
May 2020
I was watching out for you––
Not a man, but a God.
“I have been all men,
Of all ages,”
Said Tiresius.
“And I have been all women,”
Said the goddess.
You don’t control what happens to you.
It’s fate, or so they say.
You would have squandered your genius––
Be careful with language;
It’s the truth,
You know.
But now we’ve got to go.
Our job is done, and heaven calls––
Don’t fall at the last hurdle.
Remember your blind spot:
It’s everything and nothing.
Never forget a favour;
I’ll wager that
It’s the best you’ll ever get.
The time of your life?
What does that mean to you?
You’ll only know when you’re through.
I’m sorry I hurt you
(I mistook your rudeness
For indifference).
Could I have done something?
We’ll never know,
So do something,
Break something!
Run somewhere;
Anywhere
But here.
You think it’s due to fear,
But you’re a fool.
Look harder.
Try harder.
I’m not spelling it out for you.
A life well lived
Is a goal well spent.
Every life has meaning,
So stop your silly preening
And look into the mirror.
Was that a shiver of terror?
We won’t be knights in shining armour––
We’re girls in capes.
We make the man
(Ain’t that the truth?).
Who wants to hear
The plain old boring truth?
You want me to lie to you,
But I won’t do that.
I care too much for that.
So take off your hat––
It’s the final curtain call.
Shelve your pride;
I want to cry at your wedding.
That is a life well lived––
Forget the mountains
And the lakes.
The truth is right here,
If you care to see.
Resist the tide.
You can do it.
The pain will be worth it
In the end.
It all makes sense
In the end.
If you don’t want to try,
Then party down to hell
(She’ll still be waiting;
Maybe).
We’ll always fear our freedom,
But grab it anyway.
I’ll be waiting;
Waiting for you––
Right here.
We’ll have the time of our lives;
Always.
Together in this field,
In perfect harmony.
Don’t care what they say––
You’ll have my love,
Forever and always.
All we have is time,
And we’re happy with that.
Letter on the welcome mat––
I recognise your writing,
And I’m delighted.
Your grandmother prays,
But your grandfather acts in accordance with God;
And bankers are angels
(You’re looking in the wrong place).
I would die for you.
You always knew that.
I never gave up.
Doctors don’t heal you;
I do.
A crisis shows your character––
I see you.
You know I do.
My eyes are on you.
I would die for you.
Through and through.
Now you die for me.
Bonnie and Clyde,
Always
(By my side).
We need honesty
To truly converse.
We are the universe
(Right here in my hand).
Detached from grief;
You know it is the thief of time.
The road to hell
Is paved with good intentions––
One thing I know is true
(You never knew,
But I do).
“I see nothing.
I feel nothing,”
Said Tiresius.
That is the crucial difference.
Garlands of flowers
Curl, and die.
Have nothing,
And everything is yours––
But we refuse to see,
Said you to me
Beside the raging sea.
We realised we were dead;
It’s all inside your head.
If we can understand the words,
The truth is ours.
Be careful what you wish for;
You just might get it.
Forget it,
She said.
I’ll live to fight another day.
Emotions match the words;
That’s how we know it’s true.
Don’t lie to me, or you.
Read the signs,
Before the wind blows them away
(It’s true of what they say––
This life is not today.)
Your love is terrifying,
With it peaks and troughs.
We’re in for a wild ride;
That much we decide.
Are you ready?
The train is leaving.
The train is leaving,
Now.
No man is left behind.
Remember, read books.
Always,
Read books.
Credit: Photo by Anastasia Taioglou on Unsplash
