Hold The River Banks Up

GOODBYE, LOVEBUGS
IN THE SKIES
Casina Williams
1.
when we breathe deeply, we bob on the water
buoyant
i remember all of it
but really
it’s the all i choose to remember
2.
How do you leave something
How do you leave your memories?
When they towed our crumpled Chevy Astro van from our driveway,
my oldest around 8 cried, “You’re throwing away my memories.”
Now he’s getting ready to fly away with 2 suitcases. i know it’s real
because the penny collection got poured into the coinstar machine,
the same coins we’ve been stepping on for years, flinching at the cold
metal stuck underfoot.
When he turned 18, our house in Baton Rouge took 2 feet of water the
next day. He never got that milestone party. The carpet darkened and
got squishy. i left because i didn’t want to have to poop in a bucket. i
left because i didn’t want to watch my kids wear themselves out. i left
because my husband called and told me to.
We wore backpacks, ready for adventure. Me and my 3 teens waited
by the mailbox for rescue. The ant piles travelled as families, as did
we, clumps floating on the water.
3.
my life is a hoard because
finding is one of my favorite things to do
that moment where i’m the first
to discover exactly that one thing
it could be something on the ground
smelling a smell i’ve never experienced before
anything, it’s mine
sometimes i find a feeling i want to hold
i hope to capture it in my mind
i don’t want it to end
i physically try to hold still as long as i can
and soak it all in
4.
How do i feel about Louisiana after flooding twice?
i’m coasting: the coast is the edge where things meet
P O S T - F L O O D / P R E - N E X T
is what it says on my social media
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