Take Me With You

by Andrea Gibson

I DO NOT NEED AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TO TELL ME THERE MAY NEVER BE ENOUGH FLIGHTS FOR ME TO LOSE ALL OF MY BAGGAGE.

YOU KEEP REMEMBERING THE FIRST TIME YOU SAW A BIRD’S NEST HELD TOGETHER BY AN OLD SHOELACE AND SCRAPS OF A PLASTIC BAG. YOU KNEW THE HOME OF A PERSON COULD BE BUILT LIKE THAT—A LOT OF THINGS YOU’D RATHER THROW AWAY.

I WANT TO BREAK EVERY PROMISE I HAVE MADE TO MY PAIN.

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE SEED OF A REDWOOD TREE? SO TINY. AND ALL OF THAT EVERYTHING INSIDE OF IT. ALL OF THIS EVERYTHING INSIDE OF US.

THE WORST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME WAS NOT THE WORST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME. HATING MYSELF FOR IT WAS.

THANK GOD YOU NEVER GOT BRACES. YOUR BITE LOOKS LIKE A CITY SKYLINE. I BET YOU’LL LEAVE THAT KIND OF MARK ON THIS WORLD.

AND IT’S ALWAYS DOOMSDAY.

I SAID TO THE SUN, “TELL ME ABOUT THE BIG BANG.” THE SUN SAID, “IT HURTS TO BECOME.”

SCIENCE JUST PROVED THAT AN ATOM CAN EXIST IN TWO PLACES AT ONE TIME AND I BELIEVE PEOPLE ARE NOT ALWAYS ONLY AT THE SCENE OF THEIR CRIMES. EVEN THE WORST OF US, I TRUST, ARE OFTEN ALSO SOMEWHERE HOLY, SOMEWHERE KIND.

“WHAT IF YOU ARE THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE?” I THINK, “OH MY GOD, I HOPE THAT’S NOT TRUE . . . BECAUSE I AM ABSOLUTELY NOT MY TYPE.”

TAKE EVERYTHING I THINK I KNOW. EVERY ANSWER IS A GRAVE. EVERY QUESTION IS RAIN I WALK THROUGH NOW TO FIND MY WAY TO GOD,

IF ONLY SHAME COULD WASH ME CLEAN,

AM ALREADY BUILDING A MUSEUM FOR EVERY TREASURE YOU UNEARTH IN THE ROCK BOTTOM.

FORESTS MAY BE GORGEOUS BUT THERE IS NOTHING MORE ALIVE THAN A TREE THAT GROWS IN A CEMETERY.

EVERYBODY’S DARK SIDE IS DAYTIME SOMEWHERE.

THE HARDEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD TO FORGIVE ARE THE PEOPLE WE ONCE WERE. THE PEOPLE WE ARE TRYING DESPERATELY TO NOT STIR INTO THE RECIPE OF WHO WE ARE NOW.

I IMAGINE WHAT THE FLOWER WANTED TO SAY TO THE FIRST HUMAN TRYING TO NAME HALF ITS PETALS LOVE ME NOTS: “NO. THAT IS NOT HOW ANYTHING GROWS.”

BRAVE IS A HAND-ME-DOWN SUIT FROM TERRIFIED AS HELL.

SOME PEOPLE WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND THE KIND OF SUPERPOWER IT TAKES FOR SOME PEOPLE TO JUST WALK OUTSIDE.

WHY ISN’T IT OKAY TO SAY THERE ARE THINGS WE HAVE NOT SURVIVED?

YOU KEEP WORRYING YOU’RE TAKING UP TOO MUCH SPACE. I WISH YOU’D LET YOURSELF BE THE MILKY WAY.

I COULDN’T TAKE A COMPLIMENT WITHOUT FEELING LIKE A THIEF, COULDN’T BELIEVE ANYTHING PAST THE FIRST PAGE OF ME WAS WORTH THE READ.

I WANT WHAT EVERYONE WANTS: TO BE BEAUTIFUL, UGLY, AND LOVED.

I’M GOING TO KILL MY OWN GOD TO FALL IN LOVE FOR THE FIRST TIME.

IT’S OKAY. EVERYBODY’S SURVIVAL LOOKS A LITTLE BIT LIKE DEATH SOMETIMES.

LET ME SAY RIGHT NOW FOR THE RECORD: I’M STILL GONNA BE HERE ASKING THIS WORLD TO DANCE. EVEN IF IT KEEPS STEPPING ON MY HOLY FEET. YOU, YOU STAY HERE WITH ME, OKAY? YOU STAY HERE WITH ME. RAISING YOUR BITE AGAINST THE BITTER DARK, YOUR BRIGHT LONGING, YOUR BRILLIANT FIST OF LOSS. FRIEND, IF THE ONLY THING WE HAVE TO GAIN IN STAYING IS EACH OTHER, MY GOD THAT IS PLENTY. MY GOD THAT IS ENOUGH. MY GOD THAT IS SO, SO MUCH FOR THE LIGHT TO GIVE. EACH OF US AT EACH OTHER’S BACKS WHISPERING OVER AND OVER AND OVER, “LIVE. LIVE. LIVE.”