Fashion Show
What do you wear to see a man who is already dead
If you dress in black will it hasten his demise
Will the bright colors of Spring give him hope
A reminder that life goes on
Or will the world spinning without him only sadden him further
Will he be insulted if you smile and joke because
You don’t know what to say
What face do you don for a dead man
Will showing your depression make him happier
To let him know that he will be missed
Or will you die with him because of it
What shoes do you put on
Sneakers to show how quickly you want to get away from him
Black ones to remind him that he is already dead
Walking shoes to demonstrate your calmness
Surely jeans are too informal
But slacks are too much the opposite
And his funeral won’t be for a few more weeks
What words do you choose to say to the family of a dead man aged 25
“He’s going to a better place”
“God needs young men in heaven”
“I’m sorry for your loss”
“I’m sorry for his loss”
“I’m sorry for my loss”
Are they arrayed in your closet the morning of his last day like a rack of ties
Choosing which noose to choke down your grief with
Because how can you advise anyone on fashion
If your clothes are soaked salty
Should you dress as a Doctor or a Priest
What do you wear to be one of the last men a dead man sees
Do you tell him that you wrote this for him the night before he died
These poems hang in the servers
Carrying the legacy of the notebooks I tore to shreds so that their secrets would be mine
I've no solace for the living dead in the words I find
Yet I've shouldered and soaked up too many tears
My pen cannot run dry
There are stories yet to tell
For those who haven't died.