Nick Flyn

He hugged her until

                 her ribcage exploded

           he held on until
          her hand fell from her

                 wrist       in this

scenario to fall means you never

          get up & the thing is

                 there really is no other
scenario

          Stranger, uninvited, you
come up to us on the sidewalk,

my daughter’s hand in mine, you
look at her &

coo, It goes so fast. What, stranger,
is this unnamed it—this day?

her life? our

happiness? Stranger, maybe you
missed it, but just now

my daughter & I hurled

rocks into the emptiness
& we created more

emptiness.