Acceptance and negligence are opposing behaviors; may we always have more of the former and none of the latter.

let us be by George Ellington

It is the shrillest voice that cries me 
descend unto these depths, 
my ancient love so high. 

Only you could tempt the gravest 
follies of me braving galaxies 
to set foot once more on earth. 

You have taught me so endearing much 
about the beauty of the here and now 
when my soul grieves at me. 

I have so egregiously despised this me 
being but this and now and dull 
and longing ever to be more. 

Yet somehow you feeling perceived 
a me worth knowing beyond 
my ever above crying soul. 

I still cannot say that I understand why, 
but trusting in the fullness of you, 
I am ready to say yes, let us be.

Very much alive by Candice Louisa Daquin

My mother haunts me from the periphery of each day
though thankfully she is far from dead 
in fact, luminescent and bright like an opal ring 
inhabiting living more than I have ever mastered 
her premature ghost has inched around my life 
like frosting on a stale cake 
a ghost I created out of need and longing 
losing before you have lost 
missing before you have the words 
my mother who is distance and fog 
perhaps why, when I squint now 
I don’t see far, never far enough 
she has always been just out of reach 
and I, always aching, for her regard 
sometimes it is not trauma or car wrecks 
causing us to hemorrhage 
but the standing absence of people who are 
very much alive