“I’m glad you’re positive.”
“I’m glad you’re positive,

too, though, of course, I wish
you weren’t.” I wish you weren’t

either is the response I expect
and you say nothing.

Who can blame you?
Not me. I’m not the one

who’ll call you after dinner and a movie.
You’re not the one who’ll call me.

We both know we have
that—what?—that ultimate date

one night to come, one bright morning.
Who can blame us? Not the forks

and not the knives that carry on
and do the heavy lifting now.

—Steven Cordova

from Slow Dissolve