begin with please

On the sixth day of my demise...
please...
do not mourn me

Please do not adorn my casket
with baskets of fruit brone from the
bowels of our past relations

Please do not offer warm, damp towels
to soothe the physical realities of bereavement
readily apparent in the emotional responses
of the ones I loved

Please do not toast my life as anything other than
what it is
what it was meant to be
what it was

please do not cry or shed a tear because i am not here
have faith in your fear and trust the wisdom of your ears

when you hear of a sparrow that sang its song until
it could chirp no more
until it could fly freely no more
until its wing were sore and the jetlag it bore
became to much of a burden for your visual girth

give peace to the meek who inherited their net worth
from the debt of your gratitude
bestowed in
small denominations
in rigidly defined pews
filled with wine bottles in the side pockets of mulattos
who came in several hues
yet still paid their dues

so please do not tell my son that i passed away
but instead reassure him i am still beside him
let him know that my joy is simply a reflection of his smile
let him know that my weariness pales in comparison
to the excitement of seeing a new sparkle in his eye
a new confidence in his gait
it is he who holds the real weight

no corner boy lookout role though
for he is blessed with favor incomparable
to those with no fear but man themselves
no man will indeed fear a fool
we drop jewels only to chain them back to our necks
and expect stimulus checks to fund our extravagance

please do not prejudge, i beg of you
guide this treacherous journey of self-discovery
lend a calming presence to the emotional overtones
that color our hindsight
spiritual discipline to the conflicted realities
that blur our vulnerabilities
the error of our ways written in blue ink
when no pencils were in sight

reversing wrongs won't necessarily make it all right
yet one day it'll all make sense
so until that time comes
continue to keep a steady pace
so as not to lose your breath prematurely
because when those last seconds do arrive
you surely will want to mind your manners
close your eyes
and look beyond your reflection of self