braid honeysuckle and daisies in my hair,
unravel the seams of my skin and let the
birds fly in. open the rafters to the sky,
and if it rains, dance it in, sing in it,
revel in the feel of the water beading on
your lips and rolling off your shoulders;
be happy in the knowledge that soon,
you will see the sun again.

tell my father that he was my hero, tell
my brother to raise his son with passion
and joy. tell my new sister i would have
liked to gotten to know her better, tell
my best friend that i never deserved her.

tell him that he is beautiful, and he always
has been; tell him that i loved him for a
reason--not because i was a silly,
besotted teenage girl but because he is a
person worthy of love. i don't think he
understands that.

[i don't think anyone really understand that.]

see the world; go to all the places i would
have liked to go and take pictures, write
everything down. put them all in one giant
book, put that book on the top shelf of
your closet or in your attic and take it down
when you miss me the most.

remember that you are more precious even
than life: for life will come again, the spring
storms will bring forth the most glorious
flowers, their seeds will fall and they will die,
only to come up again next year, but through
all the cycles of earth and sky, fire and
regrowth, still there will be no one else who is
comparable to you.