HelloGoodbye

HelloGoodbye (A Stephen Dunn Imitation)

-For Clayton David

I was walking
to my calculus class
when you were born,
still,
no tiny heart thumping
in your chest, no air
inflating your lungs. Instead,
they drooped like Eeyore’s ears
too tired, too old
for your young body.

But I could breathe
just fine, inhale
exhale. Not fair.

All we wanted
for you was a shot at life, a chance
to teach you
about girls,
drinking,
football.

All we wanted
was you
to bring some sunshine to our cloudy lives,
make this winter warmer
with your smile.

Instead, it feels too cold today,
as your shoe box of a coffin
is lowered into a hole
you could have dug
had you been given
five more years
and a sandbox.

They want me to cover you
with a shovel full of dirt, to
say goodbye.
I never said hello, though,
and all I wanted
was to see you one time,
my cousin,
to see what color
your eyes were…
green like your mommy’s

or brown like mine?

Meg Lutz

Posted over on Poemhunter