lawn chair

he woke on a pull out mattress 

in room 406 at the norseman inn 

in rose city alberta 

his sister on the double queen across the floor 

it had been so long since they had slept under the same roof 

let alone in the same room 

he thought back about twenty years 

she sliced the inside of her wrist 

on a jagged arm of a lawn chair 

he remembered being afraid as he watched her 

being carried away

returning with what looked like a zipper 

across the base of her hand 

he thought back to her wedding day 

watching dad walk her down the aisle 

mom cried

he just sat there wondering how the fuck twenty-three years went by so fast 

every time you think you have it all figured out 

you cut your wrist on a jagged arm of a lawn chair 

or you fall in love 

or you roll your ankle playing softball 

or you give up on something you love 

just to try and get it back 

or the most beautiful woman in the world tells you that she loves you 

and you are not sure what to do with that love 

he woke up on a pull out mattress 

in room 406 at the norsemann inn 

in rose city alberta 

she said, 'good morning' 

he said, 'how's your wrist?' 

she said, 'i'm sorry?' 

he said, 'me too'

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