by Thu Anh Nguyen
Here is where we try.
You have told me that you don’t know
how to keep a precious thing,
but I am going to be so easy
to love. I promise. I can be practical
if that’s what it takes. You don’t have to be
panicked by my beauty.
Just think about how I go with anything,
fit neatly into your bag, stay snug
on your head like a crown, like a sign
that reads: I am responsible!
You can trust me!
You are barely looking at me now,
and I can see it already:
you are grieving my loss.
You know it’s coming, and you would
shield yourself from it.
About the Author
Thu Anh Nguyen is a poet and educator whose students can all recite from memory most Edna St. Vincent Millay poems. You can find her at thuanhnguyen.com and @madebythuanh.
