manuel of la brea

76

at the helm

please do not carry those burdens
for you are not the only person
at the helm, steering the boat.
you are not the only arm that
is tired and struggling to sail.
if only the stars in the sky
are aligned during the storm,
if only the sun and moon
can be united,
will we still be in trouble?

you can’t understand when
the tide will rise to shake us,
and i can’t predict when
you will set at nightfall.
and i am sorry—
i just want to love you right.
will i ever trust your love?

and if possible,
please wait for the walls
that grew in my heart to crumble.

and if possible,
please don’t take the shoes
i’m still wearing, instead
take them off first my feet
and then put them on.

and maybe that way, maybe that way,
we can walk in the middle of the beach,
and we will both know that
there is a peace after the storm.