light.

they said it was light, light for
a coffin, light in the world
gone out gone out

but for me it was heavy
for me, I sat beside it
frankly for me it was a splinter
deep down inside like a lake
about to swallow
me

and if it was one day, it was
three

sleep they say did not come
to me

and when the ground began
to cough and wheeze, I wrote
it off - they said it was light

so when I found it open
I was too stammering drunk to see
the gardener came and
sat beside me

I said that they had stolen my light
the very bones of it

"Mary," he said
"dear Mary-" he said, and smiled
splinter turned boat

seed broken
seed in dark
seed watered by my tears

"Mary," he said
and he was my light.