THE KITCHEN VASE

Posted on 27 July 2009

We understand
how it comes to this:
the oven door,
the gas turned on,

a flower bending

as we carve
our wicked smiles
and try to match
what matches us.

And when we do it right
as we’re bound to do
with everything undone,

even our clothes left for dead,

scrabbling to put
the pieces back
or take them out
or let them go

our only hope

as we slam out the door
blessing the dirt
that only grows
more crying

is that the next time
from the lessons learned
we’ll not die trying.

Stephen Gyllenhaal