If I Die Tomorrow

this was a prompt given to me by a friend. "if i die tomorrow". i would love to hear your feedback.

If I die tomorrow,

Shade in my bitter spirit and pessimism with static and cheer.

See that my name is not reflected with vanity,

With pity,

With sorrow,

But with unwanted choking smiles

And crocked day dreams.

Tell those who shy away

Of a mystic, lost and tragic being

And nothing more.

Tell my sweet, solemn, suitors

To wait for me at night,

Behind silky eyelids I will cling to them

Now and forever.

Tell my mother she’s angelic and able,

Even the tear drops she so frequently hides

Are like spilt bliss.

Tell her quirky happenings and squeeze her hand when it rains.

Speak to her only of flowers and rave about history,

And mention me only in the contemporary state.

Listen to my father.

Tell him he is wise and humble,

Tell him that his lord and savior is not found

In endless paperbacks,

Or on hands and knees.

It’s found in honesty and self.

Tell him about my aching.

Tell him about my faults,

But tell him that I am strong.

For that I have only myself to thank, no man in the sky.

Tell him about the box beneath my bed,

It’s his.

Tell my brothers to be kind,

To respect the world and I can only hope

That maybe they will be as chaste as I knew them to be

Though age flows by,

Far to fast.

Tell my grandmother I can hear the angels sing at last.

Read her poems and sing to her.

Tell Mi he broke me,

Tell him I missed him for so long and he broke me so much,

But again that I am strong.

Tell all those who curled the corners of my lips,

That I am eternally grateful.

Tell those who have been upon my lips,

They were exceptional.

Tell the damsel who slayed me,

She knows our arrangements in such a case.

Tell her oh the places she’ll go,

And how happy she once made me.

Tell Franklin there will be ease.

That life is nectar and for them,

There are so many lessons not cut clean and dry.

Tell my friends it wasn’t there fault,

Tell them that they are lovely and they will say you sound just like me.

Tell them about everything, never feel ashamed.

They are loving and gentle and good.

Tell the one who asked, she’s gifted.

Tell my salvation that I never forgot he was there.

Tell nature’s child that she deserves prosperity and hug her,

She needs it even when she looks okay.

Tell the ones who I’ve deceived it wasn’t in my intentions,

I was more than anyone knew me for.

It was at fault of all that no one could see.

In my place I leave:

Warm sheets,

A half empty box of tea,

My collection of contemporary poetry,

Plenty of journals,

Some honeyed sounds,

Photographs,

Bathwater,

Popped bicycle tires,

Little thoughts,

Big opinions,

Holographic stickers,

Disheveled bedroom walls,

A millions prayers on paper,

A million more in air,

A long list of monarchs,

Broken pencils,

Sweet vanilla,

Christmas carols,

Morbid stories of luminous thoughts,

And a few luxurious legacies.

But that is all.

If I die tomorrow

That is what I have to leave this world

And it

Makes all

The

Difference.

Author's Note

this poem does not imply suicidal thoughts, it is based on a prompt and is very personal which is why some of the referances do not make sense.

Reviews

[Robert Lindsay]

I liked this - a long stream of thoughts that - though unconnected all mean so much to you. They do say that your whole life flashes before you when you die. I have experinced a flashing moment where 100's of thoughts connected at once (but that was not anything to do with death). This is very convincing and creates a positive mood of going over all those things you value and want to say.

Funnily enough I also wrote a poem tonight to a very similar prompt on Allpoetry.com
It is here as 'Famous last words' - but a slightly different mood of reflection