Take Me With You

by Andrea Gibson

I LOVE YOU FOREVER.

I DON’T WANT TO GET OUT WITHOUT A BROKEN HEART . I INTEND TO LEAVE THIS LIFE SO SHATTERED THERE BETTER BE A THOUSAND SEPARATE HEAVENS FOR ALL MY FLYING PARTS.

IF LOVE DID NOT EXIST I WOULD BE SO GODDAMN SANE.

I HAVE NEVER MADE A LOVE POTION THAT HASN’T BLOWN UP.

YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, WHEN IT HURT TO LOVE HER, IT HURT THE WAY THE LIGHT HURTS YOUR EYES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. BUT I HAD TO SEE.

I DON’T CARE ABOUT ANY OF THE WORDS ON THE MAP BESIDES YOU ARE HERE.

YOU LOOK LIKE MARILYN MONROE AND IT MAKES ME WANNA RUN . . . FOR PRESIDENT.

“EVERYTHING THAT GROWS ALREADY KNOWS WHO WE ARE.”

I KNOW HOW MUCH THE PAIN OF THIS WORLD WEIGHS BUT I CAN STILL TIP THE SCALES IN LIGHT’S DIRECTION WHENEVER I HAVE YOUR NAME ON MY TONGUE.

IN THE GHOST TOWN OF OUR LOVE THERE IS A PLAYER PIANO TRYING TO PROVE IT CAN MAKE MUSIC WITHOUT BEING TOUCHED.

AS FOR MY HEART I’LL SAY: A MUSIC BOX IS STILL A MUSIC BOX EVEN WHEN IT’S CLOSED.

BUT YOU AND I, WE ARE ALWAYS GOING TO FIGHT FOR LOVE.

I BOUGHT A TYPEWRITER WHEN WE SAID GOOD-BYE, HOPING TO MAKE A LIFE I COULDN’T ERASE SO EASILY THE NEXT TIME.

MY FIREFLY HEART IS STILL RIGHT THERE IN YOUR GLASS JAR. I NEVER TRUSTED ANYBODY MORE TO POKE ENOUGH HOLES IN THE LID.

IF YOU FALL IN THE FOREST WHEN THERE’S NO ONE AROUND I’LL BE THERE BEFORE YOU LAND.

I WILL KEEP IT SAFE.

WE HAVE TO CREATE. IT IS THE ONLY THING LOUDER THAN DESTRUCTION.

MY BONES SAID, “WRITE THE POEM.”

ANY FEMINIST WHO HAS EVER TAKEN THE HIGH ROAD WILL TELL YOU THE HIGH ROAD GETS BACKED UP AND SOMETIMES WE NEED TO TAKE A DETOUR STRAIGHT THROUGH THE BELLY OF UNCENSORED RAGE.

TO CALL IT POLITENESS WHEN THEY UNRAVELED THE NOOSE AND ASKED IF THEY COULD TOUCH THE DEAD’S HAIR.

OUR INSANITY ISN’T THAT WE SEE PEOPLE WHO AREN’T REALLY THERE. IT’S THAT WE IGNORE THE ONES WHO ARE.

I WANT TO STOKE THE HOLY FIRE OF MY OWN IMPATIENCE AND BURN THE WORD “TOLERANCE.” TOLERANCE IS A MURDERER. TOLERANCE SHINES THE BULLET. NO TOLERANT PERSON OR SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT IS AN ADVOCATE FOR LOVE OR LIFE OR PEACE.

WHO WITH A HEART CAN STOMACH HOW MUCH THEY CAN STOMACH?

THROW BACK THE TEAR GAS.

THEY WANT YOU THINKING YOU’RE BAD AT BEING A GIRL INSTEAD OF THINKING YOU’RE GOOD AT BEING YOURSELF. THEY WANT YOU TO BUY YOUR BLUSH FROM A STORE INSTEAD OF LETTING IT BLOOM FROM YOUR BUTTERFLIES. THEY’RE TELLING YOU TO BLEND IN, LIKE YOU’VE NEVER SEEN HOW A BLENDER WORKS, LIKE THEY THINK YOU’VE NEVER SEEN THE MESS FROM THE BLADE.

SHE’S NOT ASKING WHAT YOU’RE GONNA TELL YOUR DAUGHTER. SHE’S ASKING WHAT YOU’RE GONNA TEACH YOUR SON.

WE HAVE THE NERVE TO SUPPORT OUR TROOPS WITH PRETTY YELLOW RIBBONS WHILE GIVING NOTHING BUT DIRTY LOOKS TO THEIR OUTSTRETCHED HANDS.

A SEA OF BLOOD, AMERICA, AND NOT EVEN A SHELL HELD TO YOUR EAR.

PATRIARCHY TAUGHT ME HOW TO TAKE A PUNCH BETTER THAN I COULD TAKE A COMPLIMENT.

EVEN WHEN THE TRUTH ISN’T HOPEFUL, THE TELLING OF IT IS.

I KNOW A THOUSAND THINGS LOUDER THAN A SOLDIER’S GUN. I KNOW THE HEARTBEAT OF HIS MOTHER.

EVEN LIFE IS LIKE FUNERAL PRACTICE, HALF OF US ALREADY DEAD TO OUR FAMILIES BEFORE WE DIE. HALF OF US STILL ON OUR KNEES TRYING TO CRAWL INTO THE FAMILY PHOTO.

THIS IS FOR THE TIMES YOU WENT THROUGH HELL SO THAT SOMEONE ELSE WOULDN’T HAVE TO.

I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR HAVING A MIND THAT CAN BE CHANGED.

AMERICA WAKES ME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, TELLS ME SHE HAD A BAD DREAM, ONE WHERE THE BOOTSTRAPS HUNG FROM TREES, ONE WHERE THE MORGUE PINNED FLOWERS ON PROM SUITS, ONE WHERE THE CASKET WAS A FULL STOMACH GROWLING FOR MORE. IN THE DREAM, AMERICA FINALLY ELECTED A PRESIDENT WHO TOLD THE TRUTH, WHO DIDN’T BOTHER WEARING A SHEET, WHO KNEW HIS SHOES WOULD BE RECOGNIZED ON WALL STREET. IN THE DREAM, THE SCALES OF JUSTICE WERE BUSY DISCUSSING MISS AMERICA’S WEIGHT.

AND ALL THEY KNOW OF HATE IS THAT IT COULDN’T BEAT THE LOVE OUT OF ME.

I DECIDED I WAS TOO SOFT TO LAST, AND THEN I DECIDED TO BE SOFTER.

A DOCTOR ONCE TOLD ME I FEEL TOO MUCH. I SAID, “SO DOES GOD. THAT’S WHY YOU CAN SEE THE GRAND CANYON FROM THE MOON.”

FEELINGS ARE NOT THE ENEMY.

BEATING YOURSELF UP IS NEVER A FAIR FIGHT.

ALL LIVING IS STORM CHASING. EVERY GOOD HEART HAS LOST ITS ROOF. LET THE WALLS COLLAPSE AT YOUR FEET. SCREAM,“TIMBER” WHEN THEY ASK HOW YOU ARE. “FINE” IS THE SUCKIEST WORD. IT IS THE OPPOSITE OF “HERE.”

FOR HALLOWEEN I’M GOING TO BE “EMOTIONALLY STABLE.” NO ONE IS GOING TO KNOW IT’S ME.

GUESS I’M ALWAYS GONNA BE A LEFTY.

WHAT I KNOW ABOUT LIVING IS THAT THE PAIN IS NEVER JUST OURS. EVERY TIME I HURT I KNOW THE WOUND IS AN ECHO, SO I KEEP LISTENING FOR THE MOMENT THE GRIEF BECOMES A WINDOW, WHEN I CAN SEE WHAT I COULDN’T SEE BEFORE.

YOU ARE NOT WEAK JUST BECAUSE YOUR HEART FEELS SO HEAVY.

EVER FEEL LIKE THE BEST OF YOU IS SOMETHING YOU’RE STILL HOPING TO GROW INTO?

I HOPE TO ALWAYS FORGIVE FASTER THAN I WRITE.

WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT REASONS FOR FORGETTING TO BREATHE.

I WATCHED A DANDELION LOSE ITS MIND IN THE WIND AND WHEN IT DID IT SCATTERED A THOUSAND SEEDS, SO THE NEXT TIME I TELL YOU I’M COMING OUT OF MY SKIN, DON’T TRY TO PUT ME BACK IN.

I SUPPOSE I LOVE THIS LIFE. IN SPITE OF MY CLENCHED FIST.