I was young once
faced with challenges
faced with challenges
one
I know not how I managed
twoother than faith I cannot decipher
threeinstances convincing me to part ways
with a sacred treasure
kept in my mother’s old briefcase
tucked in the corner
kept in my mother’s old briefcase
tucked in the corner
came with lock and key
lost to me
lost to me
backed up with two-
three-digit combination locks
three-digit combination locks
the passcode was rather clever:
someone’s birthday
a palindrome inside:
someone’s birthday
a palindrome inside:
baseball cards
stolen and found
cards of all sorts
an onyx pinky ring
a legal pad.
I held each item
to let my hands remember
to let my hands remember
placed them back
gently
shaped its corners
ripped
a page
folded its edgesshaped its corners
