other animals

how much is willing clay how much 
is smoke that will fade away and 
I see her laugh and stroke the dog 
and wish I had an eighth of that 
and that I could see more clearly 

but I don’t feel lonely at the 
mall and love the wildflowers but 
don’t know much about them and love 
my wife but don’t know much about 

her either I’m not even sure 
where she lives these days and I guess 
I must have had some at some point 

but searching there’s just this television 
and cardboard cutouts in the windows