I was headed down the canyon
it was before she died and I wasn’t thinking of rocks
falling from the sky
I’d written a manuscript and someone called it good
so I was heading down the canyon
to accept an award and shake hands
to jump start a dormant career
and there was you
and there was you
and there was you
each of you there to help me
with a crash on the couch
a brush away of tears
a long night of wine and revelation
I was heading down the canyon
and you were watching the babies
not really babies anymore
and you were revealing secrets
not really secret anymore
there was space in my heart still
and you kept finding empty spots
to fill me and i kept finding words
to say more, to be more
I was headed down the canyon
escaped and released and strung up attached
my strings have heartbeats and expectations
I will make it back, I will make it forward
I was off to accept whatever was coming to me
before I left the house the election was close
it was the old house, the one we owned
the one that rotted, the one the bank took
it takes a few hours to drive to the airport
and when i left the house it was close
and when i got there he’d won
and it seemed amazing like maybe
not everything is rigged against us
it’s four years hence
we are almost all still here
in different configurations
the kids are older, we are too
mistakes take no more wisdom than before
so much in between years
so much i’m glad of
so much still hanging there not quite reached
