take a bushel of lilac from the neighbor’s drooping bush

you just moved here / they don’t know you that well

and it was hanging out of the perimeter of their fence anyway

how to give someone a bushel of lilac

on your child's highest tip toes

reach / let its leaves fall on your face

if it reminds you of a memory left  to simmer inside its shell (you're doin it right)

use your strongest hand to delicately release the buds from its branch  (if they mumble their thank yous in the tiniest of whispers you're doin it right) 

the cars passing by won't care (but if the sidewalks glare at you then you're doin it right)

I used pieces of my hair to wrap 'em for you (I hope for you i'm doin it right)

 

I ran out of deodorant and I smell it

body heat mixed with floral sweat

so i carry it into the train station

carried it to the black truck

carried it on the plane ride

carried it into a foreign bed

gave it a home

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I got these for you

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cali, colombia, 2022