Love Me Now

The clock is loud, the light is growing thin,

I will not wait for the perfected hour.

The gate is open, let the warmth rush in,

I need the bloom and not the faded flower.

Don’t seal the words behind a silent vow,

But break the silence, open up the space—

I need the touch, the truth, the feeling now,

While I am here, still held within this place.

Don't save the garlands for the marble tomb,

Don't let validation be posthumous fame.

While I am walking through the present gloom,

I need the honest whisper of my name.

Strike the account—don't let the ledger rest,

For all the labor that my spirit bears:

Not just the final, effortless request,

But credit given for the strength that cares.

I need the meaning that can hold its weight,

The living answer that defines my span.

To hear your heart before it is too late,

Before the distance ends what you began.

I will not settle for the kind regret,

The polished phrase you offer to the air;

The debt you owe is not a future debt—

Declare the value of my presence there.

Love me now, acknowledge me now.

Give me credit now, before the shadow falls.

Tell me how you feel about me now,

And answer all these fierce, immediate calls.

For when this breath runs shallow and is done,

When the demanding voice has ceased to call,

When silence settles on the setting sun,

And absence claims what I surrender all—

When every now is scattered into dust,

And I am merely memory and air,

Then let your promise hold its solemn trust:

Remember me when I'm gone.