his apple

That morning the sun was shining.
Chased with coffee,
Breakfast went down smooth
And I fell in love on the subway again.
I was on a roll
But I do this
I reach out
A glutton for punishment
And keep coming back.

In my eagerness to taste it
I bite down on the glass
Holding wine and shards
In my mouth
Wondering
How to swallow.

I'll admit
My reaction
Was in no way proportionate to the situation.
He spits where others exhale.
Even so, I'll call it
It's all mine.

He's given very little, you see
Telling me things about his life
Making me an ally
A sympathizer
But I thought I was getting something too.
Once, like Virginia Slims
He told me I’d come along way.
Out of his strategically placed stones
I managed to draw back something
That looked a little like blood.

At the bone
It's as sad and as simple
As a little girl trying to keep her father
Over and over again
Only he left a long time ago.
Nothing could have changed that.
Nothing would have come before his agony.
There was no way I could have made things right.