bitty

[sll]

I can't find the butterfly coat,the one where fringes float across your knees,the flattened pancake, twirling violets,"Two layers of butter", she says "please".she reassures "it's fine, don't."but of course, it is not within my handsso I must look for it.where is the butterfly coat?were you caught in a web when I wasn't looking,when I was forgetting my name?you stir your coffee with a knife.I didn't have time to have time,locked in a shelf with dustspilling over the edges.a waterfall of broken bones,of greys, blues, and browns,of abandoned snail shellsthat crinkle together the most shivering sounds.We know how to make choices.We know what a choice is.You'll feed the dog later,I'll fix the clock later,I'll learn to love you.stuffed noses, red cheeks,open wounds, abrupt sneezes.(god, why are we so obvious?)you do know that you're going to need years,the world, for those tears.I've never known anything more vulnerable,a sniffling mass of flesh,in my arms and slain.