Poems for the End of the World

by Katie Wismer

question that haunts me is what would you like to be remembered for when I am nothing but bones and dust I wonder if I will be remembered at all and if that is important to me do I care if I am remembered let alone if I’ll have any say in the words people choose

but I guess I hope they’ll remember that I burst into tears at the sight of injustice and then I tore my life from the ground and rebuilt it from scratch once I found a home in my values I hope they’ll remember my laugh and how often I liked to use it I hope they’ll remember my words and the little pieces of my soul I wove inside of them

like shards of a mirror in hopes that others would see themselves reflected back but above all I hope they’ll think of me and see the parts they liked and be inspired to be a little kinder a little more pat...

the world’s greatest lie is that we should strive to be happy all the time a full range of human emotions at our disposal and we want to limit ourselves to a single one there is beauty in our ability to be surprised to survive pain to learn from sadness what a tragedy it would be to feel only joy how empty we would be to feel only happiness

and there is fear in the days that lie ahead in the pain I haven’t yet felt in the hope I allow myself to dare

I’m always waiting for a text back a paycheck a day off some good news better weather a new idea and as soon as it comes the clock resets and I start waiting for something else - how much time have I wasted this way?

and what is the point of a young woman who is kind to everyone until one person decides that means he’s entitled to her body without her consent leaving her mental health irrevocably changed but his sentence is light because we need to think about his future

I crave a love that is simple with a man who does not mind that I am not

sometimes I miss the old days but I don’t miss who I used to be