ALT from me believing them. I love this life, I whisper into my doctor’s stethoscope so she can hear my heart. My heart, an heirloom I didn’t inherit until I thought I could die. Why did I go so long believing I owed the world my disappointment? Why did I want to take the world by storm when I could have taken it by sunshine, by rosewater, by the cactus flowers on the side of the road where I broke down? I’m not about to waste more time spinning stories about how much time I’m owed, but there is a man who is usually here, who isn’t today. I don’t know if he’s still alive. I just know his wife was made of so much hope she looked like a firework above his chair. Will the afterlife be harder if I remember the people I love, or forget them? Either way, please let me remember.

ALT Miss you. Would like to take a walk with you. by Gabrielle Calvocoressi Do not care if  you just arrive in your skeleton. Would love to take a walk with you. Miss you. Would love to make you shrimp saganaki. Like you used to make me when you were alive. Love to feed you. Sit over steaming bowls of pilaf. Little roasted tomatoes covered in pepper and nutmeg. Miss you. Would love to walk to the post office with you. Bring the ghost dog. We’ll walk past the waterfall and you can tell me about the after. Wish you. Wish you would come back for a while. Don’t even need to bring your skin sack. I’ll know you. I know you will know me even though. I’m bigger now. Grayer. I’ll show you my garden. I’d like to hop in the leaf pile you raked but if you want to jump in? I’ll rake it for you. Miss you standing looking out at the river with your rake in your hand. Miss you in your puffy blue jacket. [ran out of space. poem also here: https://tinyurl.com/missyoupoem]