M. Hank

To me,

The words hope

And light

Are interchangeable;

To me,

Perhaps it is hope

That will let us see clearly

your mother/ hacked together skeleton wings into two-part pieces/ bleeding stars, you thought/ neurons fizzing out/ you had all the time in the the universe/ your eyes dripped down/ the back of your spacesuit/ a so-called prodigy ghost/ acid smoke

Long, exhausted bars of light in my window
Chase away the late night that came before them,
And prime me for the next one.

When you are old and too tired to sleep,

Steeping like your lemon tea

In ancient memories and dreams,

I wonder if you’ll think of me.

When your forehead’s deeply lined

With remnants of the tears you cried

yesterday 
to you i was nine years old 
with a black hurley hat 
that never left my head 
the hat that you would take 
and try to hold it far above 
my reach knowing i could never get it 

where do ripples come from

i wonder

these little 

escalating things 

perhaps they come from

the speed boat 

a few paces out 

sharp short

and jagged 

or maybe