I carry you with me.
I carry you with me here.
Right here, in this tender spot
in this hollow space.
I carry you with me.
I carry you on the tip of my tongue
Just on the tip, so that I can
carry you with me here,
in my words, in my sounds
There. That word, that sound -
Said just as you would, just as you have
Because I carry you with me,
I carry you with me here.
Right here, in the downturn of these lips,
In that expression you wore had that carried with it a
touch of humor, and a
taste of incredulity,
and a joking fear that you were better off saying nothing,
A joking fear I carry with me, and offer
to my own child, these years later,
and so perhaps now,
because I have carried you with me,
and offered you to her as
you offered you to me,
she now carries you with her as well.
I believe in this.
Which means that you, wherever you are
carry her with you.
You carry her with you.
You carry her.