1.

Something happens, nothing is said. 

Time passes.

The unpleasantness remains.

In a gust of wind a sturdy looking tree

could easily split a skull in two.

What happened with us was

Bloodless

Frigid

Incomprehensible.

I never imagined this length of time could come between us.

We lost an entire life.

2.

Childhood visits to automobile junkyards, avoiding the watchdogs.

Peering through shattered windows,

grisly collisions,

Skull-shaped holes in windshields,

blood-saturated back seats,

an irreclaimable plastic baby doll.

Broken glass across the upholstery,

liquor bottles on the floors. Gore.

My dad and I speculated on each wreck.

Couldn’t help but look, compelled to stare,

I still recapture the odor of death: inevitable, discarnate.

3.

You and I, we eyed each other like card sharks:

Swindlers, cons, liars, jokers, shape shifters and coyotes.

You were almost bad enough for me, weren’t you?

Never even saw me coming.

Barely noticed I was on my way away.

Slept soundly through the nights when I lie awake packing my bags in my head.