“I love you.” 

You should. 

Not because I’m great, 

but you can, 

even when I can’t understand. 

What could be natural, 

you should, 

by definition, 

proximity, 

adults, mothers, fathers, 

raising the unloved, unchosen, abandoned, 

this mom and dad you never had, 

what could be, 

never breathed. 

You had loss before love. 

It is the order of things, 

suspense will never make sense. 

Who are you to me? 

Mother, father, sister, brother, 

simply replaces another.

We all are interchangeable pieces, 

what a beautiful adoption of, 

“I love you.” 

You should. 

Not because I’m special,

but because you 

thought

no one else would.

Obvious and oblivious.

If I have you, 

“I love you too.” 

It feels too late, 

hearts damage beating, 

not overcome,

overwhelmed by the loss and absence. 

Memories that would have shaped me. 

A different defining.

It is dangerous to stand in the middle of a busy road.

I grew there, 

wrong direction,

innocently unaware, 

receiving care.

Moving forward

forces going back. 

That dread

you have forgotten 

a loved one’s birthday.

I have missed every celebration! 

Internally undone,

as if I should have known, 

asking new memories questions,

dead people can’t answer. 

I am late to my life,

stuck in traffic.

I’m so sorry. 

I am here now.