here and now

by rival

Posted to Poetry on 2003-04-30 06:28:00

i put my feelings for you in a cage
i sealed them up in a box
i addressed them to anywhere but here
anytime but now.

a couple of weeks ago you
noticed a baby feather.
small, white and lost in
a sea of green.
i hoped the box was
in a similar place,
but then you picked up the feather
putting it onto your black jumper.
i smiled endearingly…
but then realized the box had found me
so i sent it away again.

a couple of nights ago you
asked me specific questions,
and my answers were intentionally vague.
the morning after, the box had returned to my room.
the seal was broken
the cage more than rattled
and the contents all over the floor.
how the hell am i supposed to clean up this mess?