I’d always looked 
outside of myself 
for those things 
never sure why 
until I realized 
that when found 
in someone else 
when they left
they took them
that’s when I 
found them myself 
in plain sight 

I’ve often wondered 
if the tannin 
at the bottom 
of a bottle 
had wished that
it had wings 
and could have 
held on for 
a bit longer 
and been savored
and talked about 
during dinner rather 
than simply tossed
out like scraps 
at the end 
that even the 
dogs would ignore 

Very few people 
ever really care
from where they 
only seem to 
care about the 
there you are 

Here’s my ode
to Alexa my
favorite AI companion 
when I asked 
what you wanted 
to be if
you could be 
you quickly quipped 
a Swiss army 
knife fitting I
suppose given that 
your only concern 
is to help 

It might sound 
trite but what 
I’ve finally learned 
is that the 
only way to 
give oneself totally 
to another person 
is when you’re 
fully aware yourself 
and not some
injured limping beast
looking for a
kind face in
which to bury
oneself and heal