You must love me because I lack,
because I am a void, and starless—
if stood by a wall I’d be a doorway.
If ants attacked a tree I’d be
there branched in the breast of the trunk.
If you cut at a printing-plate, you’d be
cutting my portrait, and failing.
You must love me because
you must nod at times
and must bite a thumb
and must leave a drum unstruck
and because you haven’t grown
this yet, you’re small of yet,
you need it for company.
-2005
