Remember My Name

Rachel Conger

Oct. 11, 1977-

March 13, 2008

Remember My Name

When you remember my walk upon this earth

Look not into my steps with pity.

When you taste the tears of my journey

Notice how they fill my foot prints

Not my spirit

For that remains with me.

My story must be told

Must remain in conscious memory

So my daughter won’t cry my tears

Or follow my tortured legacy.

Lovin’ is a tricky thing

If it doesn’t come from a healthy place,

If Lovin’ Doesn’t FIRST practice on self

it will act like a stray bullet

not caring what it hits

You may say:

Maybe I should’ve loved him a little less

Maybe I should’ve loved me a little more,

Maybe I should’ve not believed he’d never hit me again.

All those maybes will not bring me back – not right his wrong.

My life was not his to take.

As your eyes glance at my name

Understand once I breathed

Walked

Loved

just like you.

I wish for all who glance at my name

To know love turned to fear –

kept me there

Loved twisted to fear,

Kept me in a chokehold

Cut off my air

Blurred my vision

I couldn’t see how to break free.

I shoulda, told my family

I shoulda told my friends

I shoulda got that CPO

Before the police let him go

But all those shoulda’s can’t bring me back

when I lied so well
To cover the shame

To hide the signs.

If my death had to show

what love isn’t

If my death had to show

that love shouldn’t hurt

If my death had to make sure

another woman told a friend

instead of holding it in

If my death reminds you

how beautiful

how worthy

you really are

If my death reminds you

to honor all you are daily

Then remember my name

Shout it from the center of your soul

Wake me in my grave

Let ME know

My LIVING

was not in vain.

Copyright 1995 Kimberly A. Collins, Washington, D.C., reprinted with permission.



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