i'll teach you what it's like to be a ghost
how to move from space to space unnoticed
how to blow through rooms on fire
without wincing.
how to be nimble
but paralyzing
and poignant.
i'll teach you what it's like to cut a noose
with a dull knife
and not bring down the whole house
i'll teach you how to take weight in your arms
without falling
and how you can get them to look you in the eyes
when they can't see through their tears
i'll prove to you
you can remove a heart
without breaking it
if you carry it in your throat
if i could impart to you
how to take a portion of their pain
without wearing it like a cloak
or exchanging it for guilt
i will show you.
i'll teach you what it's like to be a ghost.

My little brother, it seems
Like the paths we took were kind but
I hope I’ve shown enough to you
The different ways I miss it all.

Where I laughed
You focused
Where I knocked
You persisted

So strong in familiarity
But distant all the same
That time, it is enshrined
Like I know one day
You too will be.