something to find in
…..the yard and paint chips from
…..the neighbors drift
…..down long dry, lead dead
…..skin. the dog tries to eat them

…..now, though surely i
…..cannot keep up? the day is chipping away

…..at me and
…..i am not the kind to laugh
…..and laugh.
…..no i am not kind, i would share

…..my neighbor’s, “ha, how’s it” across
…..the alley calling last week a doozy, were
…..i not counting chips through my head

…..philosophizing about everything: money
…..in us, the tree
…..falling in the metro park, hollow
…..conduit making a sound i

…..miss you when you’re here, the
…..time drains down like the bird seed
…..your bedroom laughter echoes. we are

…..alone again tonight and
…..humming to one
…..another while the dog’s asleep

…..glued, to our thoughts
…..of endless trajectories and phones,
…..you go to the kitchen to eat standing up
…..but isn’t it funny isn’t it funny that we miss

…..our old selves, outside the kitchen, outside
…..inside?

© Kimberly Prijatel

Kimberly Prijatel studies policy at the Ohio State University. She used to bark at the mailman.