Her Intentions

She thought It would be over In a minute. She would open her eyes (or close them, who knows?) And chew off the cord Wrapped around her neck And swim into the light. She didn’t Expect her mother To shut off the light and Put coins on her eyelids (to keep the soul in, who’d have guessed?) And call the school to say They were to blame. She had Only wanted to sleep For a minute And have somebody wake her up When it was over. When P.E. ended, When math ended, When the locker room ended, When the bathroom ended, When the pain, And the tears, And the sneers, And the screams Ended. But nobody Tried to wake her up. And so she was buried under Roses With the thorns still pricking And P.E., math, tears Still going. She’s still Buried, but the Roses Have wilted and the thorns poke Bone instead of flesh. All that is left are the Coins keeping her There.