I found a thumbtack, I found an old door knob
A Christmas ribbon, some keys, an aimless fob
Cornflower seed packs, tissues, a cracked spyglass
so many pens, you won’t believe, the ink’s
dried out, forget the caps
All the days spent in someone’s hands
Bobby pins, and rubber stamps
Remember, all those idle tasks
Like scraping candle wax
From small jar glass
Like razor blading
Paint splatters
Like pinning back
Your daughter’s bangs
Your open blouse
The button’s there
Never sewed back on
I found sunglasses, I found at least three pair
An ancient flip phone, walkie-talkies, one blue dollhouse chair
Our dog’s old collar, pet meds, a photograph
So many earrings, 10 years buried there, at least
We know for these, you won’t come back
All the days slipped through someone’s hands
Tiny shells from sunny lands
Remember those Saturdays
Like sweeping underneath
our beds
the evidence of teenage dread
singing songs
from paper scraps
our train beat shuffle
lazy naps
today
I open drawers
find relics
gorgeous, fading
littered past.
Early Morning Poems 