Who Left Who’s Left

As far as the dead go,
It’s a hell of a way,
An infinite distance.

The living alternate
Between thinking of them
And not thinking of them,

Which makes the dead flicker
Like early cinema
In dreams and memories,

Only encouraging
Notions about hauntings
And immortality.

Really, identity,
The naming of beings,
Creates the messiness.

Identity lingers
To help you remember
Who’s left you forever.

Stories of ancestors,
So-and-So anecdotes,
Fond reminiscences,

Casual references
To what some relative
Used to frequently say—

Names remind you who left
You once you’re left behind.
As far as the dead go,

Wouldn’t you like to know,
Wouldn’t you like to go
That far, who’s never left?