Poetry Magazines - The best collection of poetry magazines online - Simon Armitage

whatever crumbling limestone heart you have

               save it

whatever song you have forgotten to sing

               keep it

whatever pure water you are still carrying

               don’t throw it all away

(go)

& let me keep watch
let me face the roaring wind atop this frozen bastion &
                                                              sit out the storms

and you do whatever you think is best
&
have done whatever saves yourself
have whatever keeps you sane
snatch back any temporary solutions
use all of your psionic painkillers

burn the rest
torch what you no longer need
scorch the earth around your feet

i don’t mind

i’ll just face the wind and keep watch
                                                    wait                &
                                                         guard the bridge

but you go on ahead &

wherever is calmest
                          lay your bed there

whatever helps
                          fend off the lightning              (cover your ears)

but

please don’t waste your time here          anymore

go on without me            but         please

tell me when it’s all over

wake me when it’s finished

tell me when i can help

call me if i can ease it again

and be who i used to be
                                           again

sing the song over                          read the last few lines

of verse just        to       please you

because                                            (even if you never come back)

i’ll still be here

almost always alone

waiting                                (as you sail over the violence & waves)

watching                             (as the great grey carries you away)

standing

staring out              i’ll be still

here

almost always         i’ll be still

at home

here

staring at the ground you scorched all that time ago

middling to desperate