softsong

when i was young i wanted to sink into the earth &
talk to the worms who told me darling stay,
it’s soft here.
dirt & grass under worn sneaker soles,
i considered wet smothering burial. there are things
that made me yearn for stillness. still are:
a stranger tells me my soul’s too worn for my age.
these days i pick up a needle & sew down a patch,
freshly 22 and just learning how to live.

& when it rains i think of u. the sweetness of water
in gray california winters, & ur voice singing to me
deep into the night when the sun yawns to rest so early.
& when i dream too it’s of stealing ur heat
& touching ur heart & sinking into ur skin.
i kiss ur nose & promise to stay; soft here.