Pieces

bring in the pieces
lay them out and
let me see
what we have here

yes, that
thing you said 
six months ago
about rhythm

the branch by the mailbox
that forked more
to the left
than it should have

those three minutes 
at the red light yesterday
when the shifting light
brought the quiet down
and made it last
forever

these dripping sounds
sliding down
the side of the house
while we lay together
warm in the island of our bed

the mysterious
missed phone call

the softness of 
last Friday
when nothing happened
at all

the painful shock
of my pounding heart
every time I think
maybe
the dog’s cancer 
is catching up with us

that one hot teardrop

pulled out of me

by someone else’s son’s
sparkling blue eye

and the icy wake
that comes after

yes, all of these
bring them to me 
spread them out and
watch now
closely, for this will
happen quickly
here, let me show you
how they fit
how they are all
the same