(ownership)

(ownership)

the question written on the form had me gutted:
“do you own any pets?”
an unintentional stab of the knife with a wrenching twist
my heart, my grief, a scream of I miss you
and then the twisted insinuation
that I ever owned you

you weren’t property
you weren’t an object
you weren’t the random bits and baubles
rattling around in my pockets and purse
do we ever really own anything anyway?
if you, and me, and the bits and baubles
all turn to dust eventually?

the truth is…
our relationship was never some transactional performance
like a shake for a treat
our relationship was alive
is alive
it was breathing and belly rubs and nurturing and nuzzling
it is now whispers and wailings and pictures and poetry
it was and is energy and everlasting and spiritual and soulful and
memory and magic and miracle
it was and is and will always be
l o v e

so the only thing
I would dare claim to own is that
cosmic, tenacious truth

that as a constellation
of our clasping hand and paw
our love story
is written in s t a r d u s t

@paige.thepoet