my last poem

aiming and failing again

if these

were my last words

to you

 

I might remind you

to be honest

 

in the way

I never could be.

 

I might say

 

that your voice

is the most important thing

 

always remember

to care for it.

 

You may wonder

 

how

 

you will live without me

 

but you will find me again

when the wind

brushes your cheek dry--

 

when the night

wraps you in gentle arms

and lays you down.

 

I cannot be all I want

just now

 

But one day . . .

 

I will be more.

Author's Note

if I were to be eaten by a tiger or give up writing for good these would not be the words I would leave behind, my legacy's a little lumpy and this is not useful at all

Reviews

[TAO]

Not useful? Makosica is right; who among us really finds our work useful? And yet, you are greater than most. I can only second what Makosica has already said. When I read this, it reminds me of the piece you did for "The Poet's Voice", hearing you read it aloud. Very well done, Emily Burns. We stand in awe.

[Ken Simm.]

May not be useful but who says it has to be. It is beautiful.

[h d e rushin]

remember this my friend:

everything that evokes the image, "when the wind brushes your cheek dry",
and it's associated layers is useful....many thanks. hder

[WhiteWillow]

No lumps here...its all smooth, lyrical, poignant. Deep and simplistic. Your tender messages always pull at my heartstrings. Another gem.

[emmajoy]

Emily, this poem is breathtaking. However, what dawns on me as I read it for the third time - and forgive me for saying so - is that the words themselves aren't the hub of the write, but the heart that held the hand that wrote it, is - and your heart's far bigger than most.

' but you will find me again ~ when the wind ~ brushes your cheek dry--'

[Larry Dyson]

and as I read it as well ' but you will find me again ~ when the wind ~ brushes your cheek dry--' depth of your soul and the one who will do this..

[Alicante lullaby]

kash...this urdu word means "what if"...we use it a lot these days...as far as your words are concerned,they are in constant state of searching always.

[Alessander]

"I might remind you to be honest in a way I could not be" and "I cannot be all I want just now, but one day, I will be more" are really good lines.

It has a naked honesty to it; it's like touching a steel frame. There's a relieving simplicity.

It's a little playful, tongue and cheek, self effacing...

Reminds me of Auden's elegy to Yeats. "You were silly like us" and "Poetry lives in the valley of its own making. It makes nothing happen". Or even another line by another non-drama queen. "I too dislike it. There are greater things beyond all this fiddle" (I'm paraphrasing).

Anyhow, really enjoyed this. Poets usually don't get eaten by tigers, btw :P

[Tim Lion]

Cool concept....deep thought. like it.

[Hayley]

And isn't it questionable as to what our last words would actually be? Which are the most important?
Wonderful shift in this poem, as well. It goes from advisable to futuristic on a whim... I especially love the ending line, "I will be more." Excellent ending to a strong piece!

[Chris]

We only think WE choose the "Words" left behind after an "end". Its others that remember what THEY choose and even the whens... The best laid lines of sad, silly fools often go - away.

[Larry Dyson]

when love is lost to ribalb flavour ..then it almost always returns Kharmically 10 fold..hauntingly beautiful insight to what he will feel over and over...

[...]

. you are much more than more, poetess, especially because you don't actually know so ... humility is where greatness resides ... so take care of your poetic voice ... it "is the most important thing" ... there are many more sequences of words waiting to be written by you ... and i am more than happy to be here to read them ... thank you for being you ... :) ...