A Morning in the World I Leave Behind

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One penguin right-side up one penguin up-

side down…….so that they seem to be asleep

Together holding hands and smiling then

…………I zip the lunchbox stuff it deep

 

Into the biggest pocket of your backpack

And you have listened know…….it’s time to go

To stand and go you stand you drop your trash in

…………A plastic bag and for a mo-

 

ment you…….are standing in the kitchen in

The dark I’m standing in the dining room

A wall between us listening…….the bag

…………Rustles like dry leaves…….it will bloom

 

As fresh as it is now for centuries

After we you…….and I and any leaf

We see today has vanished…….still you pull

…………The drawstring tight…….a flash of grief

 

Seeing the bag’s mouth puckered like a mouth

I used to think lost paperclips were lonely

And any trash…….and filled my desk with trash

…………When I was maybe I was only

 

Four five years younger…….than you are…….and wept

From day to day…….but half your face is hid-

den now…….we leave for school…….the things that will

…………Outlive us are already dead