Words After Death

What will my bones say about me?
My shins have scars-
will they know I was a dancer?
Will my hands show
that I wrote poetry?
That I held hundreds of books
and studied each one lovingly
as if watching the development
of children that could have-
but didn't-
emerge

How can my bones say anything of me?
I have taken them everywhere
but what can they speak
of my travels?
They have worked with me
and worked for me
but what have they learned
of philosophy, history?
They have no record of memories.

I'll leave fragile papers behind-
only words can speak for me.