Peach stones and sweet honeysuckle –
Things I would bring you
To forgive me
To think me backward, magical
To let her know she is still lovely
Not small
Or a ruin.
You are a little girl
Picking unripe peaches off neighbor’s tree,
Small hands shaking low branches.
Instead of anger,
They snap your Polaroid.
Little and lovely
Sweet Pea gonna be sweet forever,
This is how I’m trying to remember me.
Remember me,
Those green-stained palms for days
Picking unripe peaches off neighbor’s tree.
You are a little bit older
Jumping fences in summer time,
Pink lips sucking sweet honeysuckle dry,
No one is mad,
They bring you sugary lemonade.
Little and lovely,
Sweet Pea gonna be sweet forever,
This is how I’m trying to remember me.
Remember me,
That honeysuckle-bud mouth smile,
Jumping fences in summer time.
And I’m trying to remember me.
Bare feet and hot bus seat
Paper boats down rainwater river
Sinking plastic giraffes in mud and
Stinking chlorine, brown legs, lightning bugs.
And I’m trying to remember me.
Open shoulders and Mississippi trees
Tequila shots down laughing throat
Spelling colored curses in air and
Smelling sweetly clean, nose freckles, tiny feet.
I am trying to remember me
But all I seem to see,
Those little and lovely
Peach-stained palms
Holding her father’s hand at funerals.
(There has been too much dark,
You would cry for the joy ruined in me.)
All I seem to see,
Little and lovely
Honeysuckle lips
Pleading back men who never loved her at all.
(There have been too many nights,
You would shake your little fist at me.)
Sweet Pea, stay sweet forever,
If I could only bring you -
Peach stones and honeysuckle
They would fail just like poetry.
Think you still magical,
Lovely
But not small.
Try to remember me,
I just want to be the person
You would be proud to be.