This piece—part confessional, part comic directory—asks the reader to keep some truths and swap others. Rendered as a poster with all original photography by Michael de la Guerra, the numbered lines read as a small manifesto about how we curate ourselves for the people we love.

Featuring All Original Prose by Michael de la Guerra:

1

If I lose my mind before meeting the love of my life, tell her I said, “Hi”; 

Also, please make sure she knows cancer isn’t caused by Red 40 in food dye;

And it’s probably better you don’t tell her I died, that’s lame, just lie; 

Say something cool, like I flew to Cancun with my boys but never arrived.

2

She doesn’t have to know that none of “my boys” desire a trip to Cancun; 

Or that sometimes I anxiety-vomit at work in the afternoons; 

She won’t care about my sordid relationship with pills and ice cream;

Just please, please don’t mention the women I date who are all still married.

3

You can tell her kindergarten-age me once stole a Power Rangers shirt; 

From a kid who laughed at me during recess when I fell into the dirt;

I wore my brand new drip on the bus ride home proudly since I deserved it; 

But when Dad saw the shirt, I confessed, and he made me return it.

4

That was the day I learned about the risk-to-reward ratio of telling a lie; 

And why we all pick and choose what we tell people throughout our lives;

So if in fact you meet bae before me, you don’t have to lie after, “Hi”; 

Tell her I was super cute, funny, and overall just a really great guy.

• Title: Tell For Me
• Medium: Photography
• Size: 8x10 in; 16×20 in
• Subject: Confessional list; future love instructions
• Styles: Narrative poetry; Confessional; Typographic layout; Wry memoir

Framing & Care

• Frame under UV glass to protect paper tones

Perfect For

• Gift for lovers, writing rooms, galleries, comedic-poetic displays

All prints are upon ordering from a local film lab here in Los Angeles.

This means it can take up to 14 business days for your print to arrive, depending on demand.

However, it usually only takes about 5-7 days.

Shipping rates are calculated at checkout and based on USPS priority mail flat rates.

Original pieces are final sale items and ineligible for return.

Prints are eligible for return within 30 days with reasonable cause.

This excludes various free print offers which state that if you are unsatisfied with a product given away as part of a promotion (e.g. you receive a free print so long as you pay for shipping) you can keep it and be refunded for shipping costs. Please check the guarantee statement on special offer and checkout pages.

Contact assistant@michaeldelaguerra.com with any questions.