//(align:"=><=")+(box:"===XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX==")[walking into my store,
driving down my road,
in that same old burgundy jeep.
she grumbles over each lose stone.]//
(align:"=><=")+(box:"===========================XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX===")[//i don’t believe in ghosts,
but sometimes i wish i did.//]
(align:"==>")+(box:"=========XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX=")[//i wish i knew what you thought of me,
of how i turned out,
[[who i became.]]
//
](align:"=><=")+(box:"=XXX=")[[ghosts]]
[//(align:"=><=")+(box:"=XXX=")[i don't believe in ghosts,
but sometimes i swear i feel you.]
(align:"=><=")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX=")[rough, calloused hands
tired from days
gardening in that harsh tasmanian sun]
(align:"==>")+(box:"====X")+(align:"==>")+(box:"====X")+(align:"==>")+(box:"===XXXXXXX")[i don't believe in ghosts,
but sometimes i almost [[see you]]]//]
//
(align:"==>")+(box:"========XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX==")[i don’t believe in ghosts,
so, i read your book the other day.
]
(align:"==>")+(box:"===========================XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX===")[words that so deftly describe
a life lost to time
and grief,
[[to death.]]]//
//(align:"=><=")+(box:"=XXX=")[you write you want to die a good death,
for a good life deserves one.]
(align:"=><=")+(box:"=XXXXXXXX=")[i wonder if you know
just how much your death
haunts me.]
(align:"=><=")+(box:"=XXXXXXXX=")[i don’t believe in ghosts,
[[but i think you did.]]]
//(align:"<==")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX=")[//your stories,
the one you carved, etched
into our malleable minds,
spoken in whispers, giggles
[[warming a snowed in shack.]]
//]//(align:"<==")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX=")[they were home to so many
different lives, people.
]
(align:"=><=")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX=")[different to ones you wrote down,
shared with us all,
on milky white paper, bound and
forever published. ]
(align:"==>")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX=")[i think you believed in ghosts,
[[for you made sure yours would be here.]]]
////i don’t believe in ghosts,
but, god, i feel like i might
be one.
[[is that possible?]]
////(align:"=><=")+(box:"=XXXXXXXX=")[a living, breathing ghost.
contrary to popular belief.
]
(align:"==>")+(box:"====XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX=")[i hold seances to gather my thoughts,
ritualistic lists, scrawled
on left over scraps, to be
balled up and forgotten ]
(align:"==>")+(box:"====XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX=")[called in by incense smoke i light
because it smells like you
or where you used to work]
(align:"=><=")+(box:"===XXXXXXXXXXXXXX===")[[does it now smell like me?]]
//
//(align:"=><=")+(box:"===XXXXXXXXXXXXXX===")[i don’t believe in ghosts
but i really wish i did
]
(align:"=><=")+(box:"===XXXXXXXXXXXXXX===")[i wish i knew what you thought
of me, of what i do]
(align:"=><=")+(box:"===XXXXXXXXXXXXXX===")[if you’re watching]
(align:"=><=")+(box:"===XXXXXXXXXXXXXX===")[[are you?]]]//
//looking over us,
laughing at the mess
you left behind,
the mess you made
//
//i don’t believe in ghosts,
[[but that’s probably a lie.]]//
(align:"=><=")+(box:"===XXXXXXXXXXXXXX===")[//you haunt me
in every waking breath,
every single word type,
steps taken,
[[steps regretted]]
//]//(align:"=><=")+(box:"===XXXXXXXXXXXXXX===")[i don’t believe in ghosts
yet here you are,
ensuring that i do.
]//