do not keep me

do not keep my body while my soul moves on

when my words have left me

when my thoughts are gone

do not keep me

if I cannot make you feel my love

if my limbs are stiff and aching

or I cannot feel your hug

do not keep me

as my memory declines

as I lose the little parts of me that make me feel alive

do not mourn me

while you watch my body die

know that I will find my way back to you in our next lives

so do not keep me

not if it’s just so you can

not when I’m less myself

and not even if my loss was not planned

let me linger

just long enough to say goodbye

and then let me leave my body

towards that spirit in the sky