I filled a beloved old suitcase
it is blue and faded and cracked
with lots of buttons and stickers
and drawings
I filled it up
with so many treasures for you
a box with everything
all my poems and pictures
and my socks
that my dead great grandmother knitted me
back when she could see
it has my old teddy bear
and some hand sewn monarch wings
from my fifth Halloween birthday party
and a water warped book
about a cat
on a ship
I used to love it so much that I would read it in the bathtub
or I would pretend to
I couldn't really read
there is a little metal tin
with three photographs
and a bracelet of bells
and some toothpick dolls
I packed them all away
me, in a box
with one blank notebook
the pretty one
with the poppies on the cover
for you
every word and piece of history
that I have for you
is there
so that when I'm gone
you will have something
a bitter, sad something
maybe you could fill that notebook up
with me
just as I have
so many
for you
they're all in there
go ahead
just don't throw it away