at daybreak
the house noises have started up again
and maybe it's ghosts or
a chest of drawers something forgotten coming apart

or it may be our kisses from the past
taking advantage of the solitude
to stop loving and collapse
and turn to dust on the floor

can it be possible?
the tiniest sound they make won't let me sleep
but I also felt lonely today
in the hallway where we tore ourselves away long ago

not from the outrage of our neighbors nor
from the african colonies nor
from the depth in the mirror but
from myself and yet you keep coming back