Dreams of Lilli after Twilight
By Anne, age 18, Florida
i ran into your room last night
but of course you weren't there
nothing looked familiar because i've never been there before
but the tears on my lips were sparkling
every breath i take was stolen from you
and your smile was darkened with rouge
maybe if i had been there,
pulled you to safety myself
then maybe, just maybe
it would be different
i danced just for you yesterday
but your eyes could not open
and would not see me
spinning in circles is my favorite because it reminds me of you
because walking in straight lines never seemed to be your thing
i try not to blink because you are hidden behind my eyelids
i don't want to hide from you but i'm afraid ...
afraid that i'll wake up and realize my nightmare is true
my dream, your smile, is missing
i whispered your name to the flowers last week
now they have a part of you too
why should i keep you locked up in my notebooks?
you always deserved the world more than i did ...
did i ever tell you that you dimmed everything around you?
you outshone me ten times over on a bad day but i never minded or cared
i would kiss every freckle and give you the sun
just to make everything okay
i wished that i were as strong as you always were last month,
wished i had been there,
wished you were back
i wished i had taken your place
since the world hardly survives without you
at least for me ...
did i ever remember to mention
that i love you?
i can't remember anything anymore ...
i'm sorry, i love you
My poem is about my friend Lilli, who passed away in an automobile accident this summer. We met at Duke Young Writer's Camp, and I miss her. She always loved writing poetry, and she always encouraged me to write what my heart felt.
