Work Text:
MY FRIEND AND I ARE LEAVING
We didn’t
Pack anything.
Just the clothes on our backs
And whatever we could fit in our pockets;
My friend and I are leaving.
With our
Roots laid to rest
On our front doors, we washed
Our bodies and kissed our showerheads goodbye;
My friend and I are leaving.
We buried
Our brothers
Outback, in the garden where
The sheep will graze on them forever;
My friend and I are leaving.
We sliced
A lock of their hair
And sewed it into our scalps so they can
Latch onto our follicles. They’ll go gray with us;
My friend and I are leaving.
We held
Each other’s hands
And put one foot in front of the other.
This story has been told before, but now we get to tell it;
My friend and I are leaving.