THANKS SO MUCH

On behalf of myself and the rest 

of the crestfallen,

I would like to say thank you 

to the faded sprees of sidewalk chalk 

and the banana-yellow bouquets of balloons 

calmly deflating on front railings.

Thanks so much 

to the homemade posters 

hanging in the floor to ceiling windows 

expressing, in turn, their thanks 

to the others 

with rainbows and hearts and five-pointed stars.

Thanks to the brightness 

of the caution tape on the gates of the park, 

the minimalist art style 

of the new bus ads and billboards, 

and the soothing piano music 

playing in the giant 

conglomerates' internet commercials. 

Thank you for helping us 

come unstuck 

from our hamfisted grip on the statue quo—

because of you, 

it feels like we are finally giving up 

on those cumbersome beliefs 

we had carried around since childhood 

that life was eternal, and we 

were invincible.