To His Lost Lover

Now they are no longer

any trouble to each other

he can turn things over, get down to that list

of things that never happened, all of the lost

unfinishable business. 

For instance… 

for instance, how he never clipped and kept her hair, or drew a hairbrush 

through that style of hers, and never knew how not to blush

at the fall of her name in close company. 

How they never slept like buried cutlery 

two spoons or forks cupped perfectly together, 

or made the most of some heavy weather 

walked out into hard rain under sheet lightning, 

or did the gears while the other was driving. 

How he never raised his fingertips 

to stop the segments of her lips 

from breaking the news, 

or tasted the fruit 

or picked for himself the pear of her heart, 

or lifted her hand to where his own heart 

was a small, dark, terrified bird

in her grip. Where it hurt.

                   - Simon Armitage