Lay me down under

that soft willow tree.

Don’t forget to make sure

its branches cover me.

I am tired of feeling

like the shadow,

not the tree;

The cup

that is empty;

the nothingness of me.

Tell me how do you sleep?

Knowing you’re nothing but atoms--

Splitting until

you’re a molecular pattern.

A few cells that made skin

and the skin’s now a body.

The shell of the corpse

I longed to be.

Cold skin

makes no motion.

At night,

I can see

a world where I'm gone,

and I'm no longer there.

But I know.

I'm still here.

And I know that you care.

I don’t know how to feel

like I'm taking up space.

Sometimes my mind leaves;

I’m in a new place.

A place where I go--

There’s an ocean of calm.

I hold meaning and purpose

inside of my palm.

I can tell you, it sucks

feeling outside of yourself;

Like your soul’s sprouted wings

and there’s nobody else

to save you from drowning

and make you breathe air.

But you are alive

and you’ll make it,

I swear.