For the many many-th time
she said
by way of explanation
for what she was
and was
not
everything
since
comes down
to the moment
of impact
and the way in which I arranged
myself to meet it
everything
she said
that comes after
she said
everything
comes down
to
reception

Cigarette butt
bit of wreckage
on the rivered sea
unworthy vessel
of slow destruction
floats by

unheeded history
rounds
time’s
intersection
with
now

So
I said
into unpreparedness
blithe wide eyes
before the impact
this
you’ll be able to say
is going
to hurt

.