Anthology

Alive Enough to Die

Amy Kuhn

 

I’ve seen that smile Hardy recognized,
Alive enough to have strength to die.
I’ve felt it spread across my detached lips;
It’s become a pandemic,
Covering up our emptiness.
And I know a girl who takes notes
On how she should
Be feeling,
While I don’t see the worth of anything.
“Does anything have to matter?” I wail.
Defiantly denying my desire
And defending my lack of dedication
Because my best is never good enough.
Experienced enough to be hopeless,
Innocent enough to be foolish,
Simple enough for truth to escape,
Complex enough to resent it,
And alive enough to die.