Daniel Romano
Everything I Saw
I grew pale white lilacs and wild columbine
And all of it was mine
In old recycling bins, I grew watermelon vine
And all of it was mine
And everything I saw seemed to get so small
Like from a speeding car, old familiar barns
I made hard wheat bread and rhubarb berry fool
And I gave it all to you
I crumpled all my clothes and to the floor I threw them
And turned right back to you
My rotten softwood fence, my sagging hydro line
All of it is mine, all of it is mine
The mice come in at night
In the muddy streetlight shine
See the hulking brown skyline
All of it is mine, all of it is mine
And all thе while I shrunk I pulled my clothes around
Likе my body I could drown
I dug up shattered glass and forgotten plastic trucks
And coiled faded twine and all of it is mine
My buckling plaster walls, cracks snake and wind
All of it is mine
And everything I knew I seemed to see right through
Like cheap cotton skirts like the Madawaska view
All these things I knew
Muddy white petunias, lobelia trails blue-eyed
All of it is mine
Irises shot up high and white lilies tumbled shy
All of it is mine
I dug up all my carrots with their wild orange hue
And I gave them all to you
And all the words with which I didn't know what to do
Oh I said them all to you