phoenix
if you wanted to,
you could leave
footprints
in the snow
in the leaves
in the sand
in my past
tear up my memories until they are
dust.
if you wanted to, you could crash
my timbers on the rocks
make holes in what keeps me afloat
make rags of my sails
make driftwood of me.
if you wanted to,
you could take
away my anesthesia
away my air to breathe
away my nightlight
before you cut me out
of those old pictures.
if you wanted to,
you could fell
me with an axe
in the forest tonight
but if no one hears
me scream
who will know you’re
gone?
if you wanted to,
you could delete
all the right words
leave the blinking cursor
at the bottom of an
empty page
leave the mistakes
the misspellings
the dangling modifiers.
if you wanted to,
you could call
my bluff with just a glance
fold me in
to the rest of your deck
because there’s an
ace up your sleeve
and that ace is not me.
if you wanted to,
you could tie
me to the post
in your backyard
watch me burn
watch me drown
watch me light
up the dark.
if you wanted to,
you could push
me off
your shoulder
it’s a long way down from
you
a layer of atmosphere
between your eyes and
the dirt
at your feet.
if you wanted to,
you could take
your pair of hands and
snap my heart in
two
and two again
until there are
ashes scattered at
your feet
because
i am not a phoenix.
but if you wanted to,
you could leave
kisses in the snow
in the leaves
in the sand
in the past
tear up my sorrows until they are
dust.
if you wanted to,
you could crash
into me in the dark
so we are no longer
ships passing in the night
ground me on your shores
and patch me up
until i’m floating again.
if you wanted to,
you could take
away my problems
away my poison
away my nightmares
before you make us smile
for your new pictures.
if you wanted to,
you could fell
my walls with an axe
cut through my barbed wire
take your machete and carve
a way through
everything i
hide behind
and if no one hears
when i tell you my truth
but you and i
then we will live
forever.
if you wanted to,
you could delete
all the wrong words
leave your empty pen
at the bottom of an
inked page
leave your promises
your cursive
your rhyme.
if you wanted to,
you could call
my bluff with just a smile
fold me in
your arms
because there’s an
ace up your sleeve
and that ace is me.
if you wanted to,
you could tie
me to the stars
in the sky
let me fly between
two homes
let me choose you every time
let me shine
let me soar
let me light
up the dark.
if you wanted to,
you could push
me out of my
comfort zone
when it’s too small to hold
both of us
anymore
it’s a soaring flight up
with you
a straight path
from your eyes to the sun.
if you wanted to,
you could take
your pair of hands and
take
my pair of hands
and press our hearts
together
until we beat the
same rhythm
until there is fire in
my veins
because
i am a phoenix.
if you wanted to.