Being of Sound Mind
do not bury me
in a lead-lined casket or a cardboard box: do not
leverage me into a family plot—incredible
twist—or plant me under a new tree: do not
say words over me, then leave me
to rot in place: my flesh may
be potential
compost, but to rot
is a choice:
I choose not
to biodegrade: I choose not
to be buried inside a dying planet: I am
a dying planet
mine my cadaver for parts—whatever works—I do not
mean to deny life pro tem:
but then, please set light
to what remains
make a junkyard fire
warm yourself: use the light to read by: look into the restless flames
when the fire dies, only gravity remains
to be defied.
Jude Marr is the author of Breakfast for the Birds (Finishing Line 2017). Other recent credits include Mud City, Black Napkin, and Split This Rock. Originally from Scotland, Jude is currently a PhD student at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and also poetry editor for r.kv.r.y. For more on Jude’s work, or to buy her book, go to http://www.judemarr.com, or follow @JudeMarr1 on Twitter.
Weatherbeaten Literature 