Feel the boardwalk beneath your feet

There’s no wood there

Just bloody concrete and the skin from knuckles

Scraped into the shape of America. 

We would’ve grown old there

if you hadn’t been you and I hadn’t been me. 

How many stubbed toes of how many children 

could have healed there?

When that girl starts multiplying 

And the characters have your face

I will weep for days

Let me mourn your children I never wanted to have

I hope you dream about our full but empty life 

Where we grew separately together.

I would have loved you. 

But it could never be enough

I would have been happy to smell your pillow

each morning and sing you to sleep each night.