Promises to Sylvia

An open letter to Sylvia Plath

I want to be like you
Not…dead
But remembered
I want to turn this pain into art
Before it rips me apart
Want to make this tragedy worth something
I want to write
I need to write
As my pen flies across the paper
As my words fill the page
Eveyrthing’s all right
I want to be like you

I am like you
I know what it’s like
When the day turns to night
And your fingers find those pills
And there’s no other way
I am like you
When you’re close to the edge
And the only way is down
And you look around
No one to stop you
I know what it’s like

But I won’t be like you Sylvia
I won’t be like you
I have the heart
I have the pain
But I can’t, I won’t go through it again
I will put down that poison
I’ll step away from the edge
I need to keep writing
I need to keep living
It’s sad but it’s true
I want to survive
So I won’t be like you