A Half-Spun Requiem Poem by Cassie Cooper

echoes of whispers, actually, bouncing off the walls
with those irritiating piteous eyes
all big and knowing
oh, that poor person who lost their
best friend in one of those
'tragic accidents'
a typical drunk driving case
going too fast and not watching so
someone had to die and it was luck
or fate if luck is too heartless
that the sober junior
kicked the proverbial bucket
how sad
'he died too young'
did he?
'it's so sad'
aw, is it?
or are you just echoing that phrase over and over, hoping you don't sound
heartless
'he had so much life to live'
well, we'll never know, will we?
forgive my
cynicism
it's an unfortunate side effect of
loss
and don't offer your
condolences i can't
stand them, i'm not sad anyway i'm
numbed
like in the dentist's i can't feel
life anymore
not dramatic in the movies where they won't
eat
i eat
i just stare out the window a lot
i mean, more than i used to
anyways

i remember you, please don't
think i'll forget you, i can't
sure, your voice is already fading, but
not no never your face
too many photo strips from the mall
for that
your smile is tacked all over my walls
so i always ache
but not too much, i know you wouldn't
want that
but no need for vengeful spirits like in ghost stories
i have you locked in my heart
you wouldn't be vengeful, you'd be some
valiant protector, my knight in shining
armor
like you've always been
so i'll leave these wispy flowers for you
with a badly written
requiem
and a good-sized chunk
of something out of myself
i can't quite name.