virgil’s flowers

 

these are the flowers that you hate

these are the colors 

for your mother’s sake

all of this climbs the walls 

where poets go to die

these are the petals you despise

 

these are the letters that you fear

all of the vowels that you strained 

through walls to hear

these are the syllables 

I swallowed when I lied

these are the words 

to make you cry

 

these are sorrows that you’ve saved

all possibility you 

scramble to off-stave

and when you wake to breath and you

clamor for the light

this is the dark that slept beside

 

these are the flowers that you hate

these are the colors for 

your mother’s sake

all of this climbs the walls 

where poets go to die

this is the easiest goodbye

this is the easiest goodbye

this is the easiest goodbye