I would have stayed with you
if it weren’t for all those starfish
losing their limbs in your pockets,
trailing saltwater down your pant leg,
pooling at your feet.
I would have stayed with you
if it weren’t for the way your handwriting
slants down and off of the page.
your words lead to nowhere.
I would have stayed with you
if it weren’t for all those birds
crashing into your kitchen windows,
leaving their prints on the glass,
eerie outlines of wing and feather.
I would have stayed with you
if it weren’t for that hole
in the wall next to the bathtub,
dark enough to be afraid of.
I would have stayed with you
if it weren’t for all those butterflies
caught in the grill of your car,
wings like confetti
whirling through your engine.
I would have stayed with you
if it weren’t for the low drone
of your synthesizer, vibrating
the walls of the bathtub,
pulsing through my water.
2 comments:
Beautiful placement of the verses. I noticed the ones on the left hand side all had to do with things from the natural world in collision with his world, while the right side were him-self-created. Beautiful work, Jamie.
I don't know how often I say this about your poetry, but this is one of my favorites. It's so perfect, especially for fall.
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