We hear the drumbeats of these transformations—
Heart throbs resonate from atop an unclimbed hill
In the center of from wherever you are watching us.
You were always the one who was so in love with life—
We—will only see a single sunset today—
Right now—is the only moment we can be sure of…
So let me tell you that I love you—
You were all our hopes for tomorrow.
Your light floats on butterfly wings &
Comforts even the sorrow of strangers.
All of the music sounds different now—
& I know it is you singing along with the words
Like you did when you thought nobody was around &
All your fears left you—
You were in my dream last night—
Breathing the red back into an upside down rose—
There were harp strings singing a song
Springing up into the stratosphere—
Your spirit followed the path of a spiraling moth
& as that song sang
& as that moth landed
a rainbow ran out of the forest looking so tired
From reaching so long over the laughing trees.
It laid to nap in your whistling teeth &
Stored itself in your lips so you grinned in high definition &
Stored itself in your lips so you grinned in high definition &
Reflected kaleidoscopes in the flesh of your smile.
When I saw you last night
I wished I could have known you longer
So I could wander knee deep in your herb gardens
See your imagination create potions & presents
Follow the fragrance of your future
Learn from you the secret purposes of plants.
Yours is the glow of proud grandparents
Who adore every crease of your smile—
Yours is the laughter of a family
Who is so in love with you—
Yours is a summer night’s ballad
Entwined with botany & your brother.
You were there last night while I slept &
An outside wind picked up every broken promise
Trapped in evaporated tears &
Buried them in the earth at Palmer Park—
You were there with protest signs
Between fish giggles & humming bird moths
Holding your Pop-Pop’s hand
With homemade soap in your pocket
& your mother’s shadow peeking from the contours of your face.
You whispered words from undiscovered alphabets
That only question marks could hear—
You kissed the simple flowers reminding them how to bloom—
You had lightning in your pockets &
Thunder became a melody surrounding you.
If my eyes fail to open
I will stay for eternity
In this bright halo of a dream
Where you have limbs wide open like tree branches welcoming the wind &
There is a Picasso painting of extinct flowers growing on red rocks &
The patterns on butterflies form the faces of those who love you.
You tell me not to wake up yet—
That there’s a prophet running down the mountain
To tell us the secret of why the birds only sing in the morning.
You say this with pink hair caressing your cheeks—
A curtain you never had to hide behind.
We are holding the razor’s edge, ungloved—
Give me one more minute to see you
Outside the waking world of grief
Where flowers are waiting for you to exhale them back to life
& you play in the deep end of clouds
Holding high notes while painting the sunrise with a palate of hope
& you talk to the sky about exhausted rainbows.
Give me one more minute to see you—
One harmony one skin one scream one moment we love you
One song one drumbeat one family one hope we miss you
One sunset one glory one dream one poem smile fearless
One day one day one day
One day we will all leave this fire behind—
Give me one more minute to see you—
Where the only sin is when you stop laughing
& the only sadness is when I wake.
***
Susan M. Peiffer is a widely recognized and published poet, educator, and spoken word artist. The recent recipient of the Pike’s Peak Arts Council’s award for excellence in performance poetry and the Colorado Springs RAW performance artist of the year, Susan’s confessional poetry covers a variety of subjects, carries a unique cadence, and ranges in style from modern haiku to competitive slam.
