If I am a stone
then bury me
not by silence
but sound
the round hollow
of your words
Let them drip hot wax
on my bare skin
when cool
peel the cold pour
from my flesh alive
with pain
I'll tender the sore
with an aloe balm

If I am a stone
then drop me
into the river
at least
she knows my name
You won't even
wrap your lips
around the vowels
so fragile
the world you've created
you can't bear my weight
I'll catch the rays
of light from the water
absorb it's warmth

If I am a stone
then throw me
as far as you can reach
I'll tumble uphill
roll back down
at your feet
a kick of your bare toe
you'll curse the day
of my creation
soak your sorrow
at the grotto of martyrs
I'll look up
to the mountain
that birthed me

If I am a stone
then crush me
into minute peices
What is living
inside me still exists
you'll choke on the dust
that settles
in your lungs
a black spot
pressed on your heart
heavy unto death
I'll let the wind
roll my pebbles
to a welcoming shore

(c) Linda Gayton 2006