Permanent

I hold onto anything that leaves a mark.

rings that coat my fingers in green

doodles in blue ink on my arm

I hope for my injuries to form scars

just to prove their existence.

scratching bug bites until they scab

so I can hold onto them just a little longer
 

I want to be permanent.

tattoos and classic literature

sea and bleach and high school history books but

I’m made of smoke and flowers

candles, sunshine, fleeting moments

everything that does not linger.
 

my body will become a garden bed when I die

unlovable creatures finding solace

in my decomposing corpse

as flowers grow from my flesh

and life begins again

permanent.