When I’m gone
I want you to tell them why
When I finally give up fighting
I want you to tell them how hard I tried
When I finally turn to go
Don’t you dare tell them I turned my back on you
When I’m gone
Don’t make me the monster you chased away
The disease you cured
The ransom you paid
Tell them how long I stayed
Allowing you to fill my pockets with rocks
One lie at a time
Until I started to sink
And the only way not to drown
Was to drop everything and walk away
Tell them I saved myself
Tell them how I choked on the word goodbye
How I rebuilt boundaries to accommodate you
How I stood in the face of the mob you raised
Letting them swing at me with torches and pitchforks carved with someone else’s name
When I’m nothing but the words you speak
Tell them I kept my faith in you
Tell them I defended you
Tell them I loved you
Until I killed me
When I’m Gone
January 26, 2023 by JL Clifford
Leave a comment