held tight

I.
the waters left behind
dry slowly in the cold

if the phone rings, it is only once
if in this exact spot something was said

has it embedded itself in this space?
is it on the pillow while we sleep?

though WE signifies more than one
it does not signify the same

a WE can exist as singular and true
but only for the moment in which it exists

i am a WE without you
i am a WE without you knowing

reflexive incantations are muttered
&
their resonance falls like soot on the mirror

it is a portion of a portion
that holds the space of you

the space of hometown loyalty
&
pleasure points that are not expendable

bamboo withers without water
but sustains with just a spoonful

in the end, bamboo can be bought by the stalk
&
can sit just where the old one had

it depends on what you choose to value

how important are newspaper cut outs and ticket stubs?
i find that there is less and less to prove:

affluent newspaper tendencies
a prolonged overt suicide
a growing appreciation for small talk

the pulse that ropes through the street from whence we came
finding that it is colder when away

cold is the slow death of your appendages
not for any reason other than a lack of necessity—

there is no cause, no chivalry, no spite

cold can rumble through forgotten shards
cold can cause things to go unused

in abundance, we fall flat when opening the door
cold feels good when you don’t fight it

it is satisfying to be full of compact molecules,

which may feel like lead in your stomach
but have almost the same mass as water

there is a certain satisfaction to be gained
when there is nothing left to speak.

II.
impressions of what is still to be discovered block the sun’s glare briefly

things are quiet now
the clock wears on

those not here anymore do not remember how small the world can be

as is, holds up a lot
or holds in, which is the tendency

not like a vessel but like a missile

how much can the fingers take though, even with reparations?
skin can be tender yet still intact

movements can be made without meaning
&
do not always come from the beginning, or a place like it

being ancillary

a stipulation, a correction, adventitious

not quite adventurous, but close
a knowing out of placeness