with the tears streaming down her face
she was more sensitive to the sound of slamming doors
divorce papers would have made nice tissues
and the fire was only half-stoked
with the soundtrack of violins playing
she still had the imprint of his corduroys on her legs
the smell of his hair on her sleeves
the feel of his fingers in her hair
she only realized too late
that their conversations didn't always have to rhyme

I told you
about the chicken
that crossed the road
and said
"you should go with
the bigger wallet"
when all I wanted
to say was
"let me be
the person to
come home to"

I had the charm
of a bag of rice
infested with worms
so we built a boat
with palms blistered
all the way through
and sailed to an
exotic island
where the natives
thought I had
the charm of a bag
of worms
infested with rice