Day 21: As the swallows see the ground

I’ve waited years to see you

As the swallows see the ground:

A thing irrelevant and far away.

I would apologize to you for that

Except you’d never hear me at this distance.

So I’ll apologize to me instead.

Day 20: This is not the love story

This is not the love story our younger selves tried writing,

the one we cut our teeth on,

that climaxed at I love you,

with bells and rice and rose petals,

happy ever after pasted on page 3, and all the book to go.

There is no fairy tale for this,

nor map, nor guide,

nor wise old guru to dispense advice.

This is new,

the three-strong cord reworked

into a different tie,

unblest but no less binding –

a lock of hair curled round a gentle finger;

the imprint of a suture

the long red thread of memory…

We are not our One True anythings.

Yet We are as true,

as one,

as all our anythings

before.

Day 19: Salt

He has dumped the shaker out

onto the café floor.

While his father sweeps

the grains into a pile,

Levi bounces on his haunches,

red shoes interfering,

saying and resaying

the new word with

…doubt…then

…care…

…alacrity…

and he has mastered it,

this new thing and its name!

His hungry eyes

cast out their net for

students to instruct—

There! He’s enchanted one,

and springing to his feet, Levi

proclaims, with fresh authority:

SALT!