The three-bean chili in the fridge grows mold
That unpaid utility bill still sits at the kitchen table,
the smudge of spilled honey beneath it crystalized
Poplars still creak and shudder on windy days
People carve their initials into limestone and wood
even after the passionate spark disappears
There will always be sweaty forehead kisses
and little ladies walking patient dogs
There will always be the best day, the worst day
In winter, the sparrows go and leave me to
pick feathers out of my air conditioner
in spring, they scream through my window
Build again
Dahlia Garofalo is a recent graduate of Winona State University’s English Writing and Sustainability programs. Her short stories, “Bachelor Buttons” and “Rodent Lovers” won the 2020 Winona Writing Prize. She is a strong advocate for Eco-Justice and human/animal rights.
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