Friday, January 2, 2026

Ex Ex Ex

 Ex Ex Ex


I, [name withheld], am sorry

to have left you on that park bench in the sun

with the belief I would return. 


I, [not saying my name], left you with thoughts 

that your friend (who you thought was me)

was coming back. No trees, no shade.


Your long-time little-sister-person.

Your long-time long time. You big brother.

Friend-brother. On a park bench, with belief.


I, [person], walked away, the sun past 

the point of overhead. In your head

I’d be back. Why wouldn’t I.


I, [why wouldn’t I], untethered me from you. 

You, tireless. Untired of us. 

The bench, uncomfortable.


The sun past apogee. Pigeons. Other people 

with sandwiches looking to sit. You, hoping 

there’d be more of you and me in the sun.


I, am in jail, and cannot leave 

until I write this 100 times. 

I love abandoned-you.


I love you attached to a bench.

Now you’re free of me. The sun

has got to be setting.


I, am  sorry, I wish I’d yelled to you 

from the baseball diamond, in the hazed sun. 

Or shook the chain link. Or made some animal noise

so you’d fathom me as animal-gone.

2 comments: