almost
this almost didn't happen to me
I almost didn't begin to smile
I almost forgot to notice you,
standing there,
can't see you past the grey hair
I almost lost myself in a dream
about a
dream about
a
dream and when I woke
then woke again
then woke
again—it didn't seem
as if I'd left the dream,
except that you were
still standing there,
just where I'd left you,
the same word leaving your mouth, in fact,
though it wasn't a fact at all
what a circle we are living in together
and what a good laugh we could have
if we weren't so busy
falling
here I am, catching myself in
the same place, ten years later,
still wearing my disguise
and still surprised
don't give up on me—
I can't spell it all out yet
but I'm learning the words,
one at a
time,
and making a ladder out of them
listen to almost:
