Poetry

"Note to Self"
by Ellen June Wright
remember the once softness of your skin
                remember the fullness of your cheeks

remember sun-warmed melanin and your blush
                 remember dream-filled kisses

remember the days long prayed for have come
                 hold the dark mind at bay…hunger for more grace

saturate your thoughts with the colors to come
                 magenta and pink impatiens

golden-yellow marigolds and goldenrods
                 lavender lilacs or wisteria dangling at the window

inundate your thoughts with the flutter of songbirds’ return
                 we’ll never forget those that we have lost

enjoy the sunlight on your skin, play, dance, keep on living
                you're not cheating the dead when you smile