Puddle.

If it matters to you
I wanted to say that
When I left your house
I accidentally left the water
on in your kitchen sink
while washing my hands
 
I just wasn’t thinking 
morning had grown long
hours passed after you left
And it was so hard to let myself out
I watched the sun creep across
Your bedroom floor
And play along the edge of your bed
That no longer was ours
And I couldn’t turn off my head
The way you turned off your heart
 
So now it’s mid-afternoon
And it just occurred to me that
The faucet was running
Maybe even spilling
Across the hardwood floor
Pooling in the uneven crevices
And I can’t help but feel guilty
I never meant to wreck anything
I had only wanted to be kind
And for you to be fond of me
 
I just wanted to wash my hands you see
I was just feeling so out of sorts
I’d never had my heart broken so cleanly
And I found myself startled by how
Soiled my soul  - and I - felt
I had collapsed into a heap when you left
And your words filled the room like bees
Every breath I took stung
And every step I took made me bleed
 
But I just wanted you to know that I’m ok
That I’m not there anymore, just as you asked
But I wanted you to know
That I left the kitchen sink on
And I’m awfully sorry 

(This poem also appeared in Ophelia Street.)