Poem: I Would
Author: Harper Kingsley
Last week on Sunday while the world wept
I dreamed of beautiful sunlit scapes and escapes
of leaving behind the winter melancholy world of now,
returning to the days of yesterday’s summer.
My dog barks in rasping growls, threatening violence
while hiding under covers, waiting to be saved.
He is weak while I am strong, bent where I am broken,
his fur is rough with bristles, sweating when he runs
chasing rabbits and poking into warrens, uncaring of thistles and thorns
while I sit on a bright orange bucket writing poetry never read
dreaming of a fame and fortune I’ll never find.
If I could I would move cross country, following the sun across the sky
or I would buy a house with indoor heating and extra blankets for when I’m cold.
I would never have to try and sleep while my bones shudder and shake,
my teeth chattering hard enough to hurt my jaw
as I squeeze my eyes tight shut to ignore the ache in my toes I’m too young to feel.
Every winter leaves me feeling older,
while summer takes longer and longer to arrive
and when it comes I never want to leave it.
I would let the sun warm my bones as I forget the winter chill
I would stay the same and change only some things all the time.
I would run as far and fast as I could from the things I hate
and the people that scare me.
I would do much if I could, but I only have dreams.
