my reflection, anatomical inaccuracy reads something like:

fairy dust in a silt layer, bones all shattered at the press of her fingers, and for months I molded a sandcastle around the soft

sinking, drinking ichor from a cocktail glass and dragging nails across my discomfort -

did you see that girl taking a tempest inside herself, to warp her sinew, spreading from this side of the universe to other?

in the lamplight I bit a secret onto the ridge of her spine; *sometimes I sleep near fires hoping my insides become glass

i was raised
by the greatest
generation.
at least,
that's what we
were told.

we were raised
at your knee,
told stories
of the American
Dream. "work hard,"
you told us, "obey,
consume, and god
will provide
for your every need."

you neglected
to mention
you'd borrowed
our only home,
a loan
you've since
squandered.

like the parable
of old,
you buried
your talent
in the sand—
along with your head.
dormant, you twiddled
your thumbs,
ignored the warning
signs of sky-rocketing
carbon emissions.

when you die
alone
you'll leave
behind a footprint
larger than your
tiny mind
could fathom.
it will echo
in the hallways
of your vacant,
dilapidated mansions.

you stood upon
the shoulders
of gods and giants,
but you gave us
a globe
unbalanced,
off-axis.

now, like Atlas,
we're left to carry
your burdens.
this yoke is heavy
and we are slight.

there's
no future
now, thanks
to you.
only prophecies
of nuclear holocaust,
economic collapse,
and the inevitable
heat-death
of the universe.

this is my goodbye to you
a sweet blanket of truth
i know that we’re better off without each other
so let’s not play games and leave for the better

thank you for being in my life
for inspiring me to do what’s right
to wish for the best
and put me to the test

i love you and I know you know
so i hope you don’t say no
to the next girl who confesses her love
and that you will never break her heart
instead fit together with her like a glove

i hope that we’ll find each other again
this time as adults who have what we’ve attained
a lifelong list of accomplishments and dreams
but baby, if only you knew you were my dream

but this is my goodbye
so i love you and it’s true
i’ll remember you and this too;
the kisses of our forever
and the memories created from whenever