Veins of Water

From the back of the drawer, a single paperclip. The chill of cold steel on my fingertip told me the season had turned. Red tail lights bleed on wet stone The evening chime fades behind Brushing rain from the black umbrella No reason left to hurry on White foam circling down the sink Washing away the day’s polite disguise "I’m fine," typed in a tiny frame Dissolving like a ripple in the dark The scent of rain unwinds the night Washing the edges of the town Instead of saying that I’m lonely I wipe the misted mirror clean Crisp white folds of a folded shirt No one to blame in the quiet room Two clock needles ticking apart Distant thunder, quiet skies The tide recedes inside my chest Never counting what was lost Just watching raindrops down the glass A puddle reflected the night sky. Between parting clouds, a sliver of moon, paper-thin. Pressing a dry towel to my chest. ……Now, breathe out slow.