Eastern European in me. A ritual.

Place an object in your pocket and

force yourself into forgetting.

Develop a panic—where? where? where could it be?

You will be inordinately pleased by your

rediscovery of the thing.

This will stave off the losing of tokens, mementos, keys.

As for the losing of people, kittens, years,

the formula is not yet perfected.

For luck, imagine all you love

backing out the door, alongside the road,

twisted and still.

The secret is to disarm surprise,

disarm the ambulance, towtruck, silences, wrinkles,

and the slamming of doors.

What is purposefully misplaced daily

will not stun a soft heart

if it should be snatched away.

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