was pretty
muddy, actually
though nobody likes
to talk about it
No one will mention
how the earth wept for days
in smudged rills
draining ropey
fluvial rivulets
to pool
bewildered
beneath our feet
they left
a negative impression
of where the glacier had strayed,
drifting absent-minded as a one-night stand
who waits in your living room
while you freshen up
for the fun part
to start
turning over your old records
rummaging through
a small stack of rings
artlessly rearranging
half of Ottawa into Wisconsin
that sort of thing
and when it’s over
melting back
silently
refusing to admit
you were ever really
that close
So what I’m saying is
it took a while for earth
to rebound
naturally
so accustomed to the crush
of ice on her face
she forgot how it felt
before her crust dimpled
depressed
and also forgot to wonder
where all these damn lakes came from
Was she ever the same?
A ridiculous question:
He meant nothing to her
obviously
just a fun thing you try
just a phase
really
And yet –
the earth took shape
where the glacier had been