we weren’t supposed to be together
forever
comes with being
seventeen

years ago we loved
and lost
again and
again

for a while
he died
and I invited something in
I think
you might call it God

I don’t.

he visited my dreams
again
last week
waking, I asked

how you been

in reply, a photo
of his new baby
who looks like him
and somebody else
that isn’t me

and while I never wanted
that path
that it’s taken
and gone

hurt like a death
a longtime coming