Permission to Live

I remember what you said on the way to the funeral,
How you stopped and looked at me with those wide eyes
You whispered your name,
You said it again, louder and people heard you this time,
and it felt good when you said it
it felt real, from the inside out real
I wanted you to say my name too
I wanted to hear it from your lips
You took off your shoes and I watched your feet sink into the grass
Its right then I fell in love with you,
When I knew you were leaving
When you ripped off the bottom half of that dress so you could run faster,
I loved that.
I loved what they screamed, and how you didn't care,
And when you didn't look back over your shoulder
When you disappeared people just stood here silent
holding their eyes on the horizon,
like they expected you to come walking back.
I knew you wouldn't


Andrew Tipton