ashes to
tell
me
about
that
ring
he asks for the umpteeeeenth time
it’s a broken heart
sometimes a broken heart is just a broken heart
he continues
cause he’s so smart
aren’t all broken hearts the same in their brokenness?
no they are not
my own reeking of an old maritalcorpse diamonds glinting
i wear grief on my middle finger more easily presented
to the griefdeniers unholypacifiers +fools
we’ll give u 3 to 6 months then we’ll drag u to bellevue
another said: fake it til u make it
so what scares u more
my grief
or my strength?
__
Spring 2019
..in the matter of my own ashes..
scatter them in the ravine behind 52 Purdon..
at Marty’s tree UCC at Lee’s grave..
and at the munk school reflecting pool u of t
bits of me colourful outfits loads of silver where
i sat for 12 years writing depressing poems
almost invisible
but not quite..
..some deaths , they explain, will never simply be “gotten over.”
..some mourners will never quite again “be themselves.”
(David Chariandy Brother ..on complicated grief 2017)