The ghost

I saw him
His body a very pale sea, almost green
Soaring above me in a different sphere
With gold wings
He had a blissful expression
One maybe he never had
Certainly he was always smiling, somewhere
When he died
I had just gotten betrayed by a friend
I thought was mine
I forgave him
Was more just said
You live through any of it
But what is the red shoulder we long to see
I thought that I too would reach a great canyon
My arms and legs blissed out
Instead I blossomed inside
Oh I loved his wife and children
But they were still here with me
When my father died he went straight up to heaven
When the ghost died he stayed with us for a while
I forgot to mention that the wings were gold and green
And the winds were heavy
They held his body
Afloat in air as if in the ocean
I forgot to say that when it was summer
I too measured the red bell heads
I said the hell with it
All of it
Heavy air will you hold me
Suspended in the ocean of time
Where I will never see you again
My skin gold and green
Sweet king, you left us
I know it
Dark is dark
The darkness, darnit
It surrounds
With heavy air
Arms and legs suspended
The head

Source: Poetry (September 2017)