The Hedges

I could swear that I just saw your face in the hedges outside of my kitchen window

It was the same face I saw all those years ago at the Chinatown meeting

You were talking to someone else but furtively looking my way

I tried to open the window to say hi but it’s painted shut

Such a thing

Something we do for beauty that stops real beauty from entering

I watched you as you spoke, and you gently drifted back into the leaves

I looked into the sink and saw all the work I had to do

I wondered if it would even have gotten this far if you were here

How much of my life would be in order if you lived outside the hedges?

Where might I be if we stuck with it

If you were willing to tolerate me until now

I wonder what life would be like if you didn’t live in the hedges