kintsugi
“Oh, don't look at me.
I'm not what I was,”
she whispered, me staring behind her reflection
“I used to turn heads,” she said
hip out hair flip
“double so when I didn't want it, you know.”
“You? Look at me, gravy years spilling over my belt.”
I put arms up stomach in wrists rotate left right
“never turned heads but caught you staring slipping
invisible notes under my heart that night, remember?”
Putting arms around you dancing my head spins
years fall away I drop to my knees before Venus
yesterday
pushing me from this moment like a rip tide pulling from the beach
yesterday
you kiss my salty tears reeling me back up
It’s us now Japanese art forms
repaired broken lumpy things
shiny lacquer gold streaks
our sparkling seams singing songs
of that one time
we were flawless and new and
no-need-no-wabi-sabi
Staring behind your reflection
I only see what you were
what grandchildren will never
quite understand
until the day they stare into the box
touching grayed photos whispering
"how perfect they were"
