Winter 2024

Imitation

The Sun leaves me—too soon—like a tired mother—

naps after a 9 to 5.

Haven’t been seen much—but my ears yearn for a page flip—

By her again.

Signed emails and grocery receipts.

Like Taylor said: collect the scraps before they’re taken away,

Too soon—so I take my files—piles

Collected in drawers—closets.

Sprawled on the floor around me, all 200 square feet.

Hope to patch her up again—a paper mâché woman—an imitation.

Strikingly unfamiliar—chewed-up, layered, splattered pages—her chapter.

Towering stacks of photos, plum shades of nail polish,

I grasp for—

only to feel yet another imitation.