Everything I Saw

I grew pale white lilacs and wild columbine

And all of it was mine

In old recycling bins, I grew watermelon vine

And all of it was mine

And everything I saw seemed to get so small

Like from a speeding car, old familiar barns

I made hard wheat bread and rhubarb berry fool

And I gave it all to you

I crumpled all my clothes and to the floor I threw them

And turned right back to you

My rotten softwood fence, my sagging hydro line

All of it is mine, all of it is mine

The mice come in at night

In the muddy streetlight shine

See the hulking brown skyline

All of it is mine, all of it is mine

And all thе while I shrunk I pulled my clothes around

Likе my body I could drown

I dug up shattered glass and forgotten plastic trucks

And coiled faded twine and all of it is mine

My buckling plaster walls, cracks snake and wind

All of it is mine

And everything I knew I seemed to see right through

Like cheap cotton skirts like the Madawaska view

All these things I knew

Muddy white petunias, lobelia trails blue-eyed

All of it is mine

Irises shot up high and white lilies tumbled shy

All of it is mine

I dug up all my carrots with their wild orange hue

And I gave them all to you

And all the words with which I didn't know what to do

Oh I said them all to you