Vow
with this ring
this stoneless nothing-metal band
we bought on Amazon
(twice!)
for sixty dollars and some change
not because we were unromantic
or cheap
but because we understood
that an object meant to be worn forever
should be easy to replace
with this ring
I give you my impermanence
the shifty balance of my need
the weight of everything I want
the cruelty of my limitations
now let’s see what is left of us
when this experiment is over
how easily are we thrown away
rings, intertwined fingers and all?
what is left of you when the storm of me
has broken your home and scattered your pieces
across an unspeakable distance?
what is left of me when I’ve forsaken other lives
entire worlds
to share your bed
and burial ground?