ROMANCE by Michael Hettich

　　　　Your father kneels on the roof, cleaning
　　　　gutters while your mother
　　　　types letters to magazines
　　　　thanking them, and you
　　　　walk around
　　　　your bedroom, doors closed, humming all
　　　　afternoon, identifying
　　　　birds in your head, in your shadows on the wall.

　　　　The woman you''ll marry is talking politics,
　　　　silence, the war that is not quite
　　　　happening all
　　　　over the world
　　　　and the ones that are killing nobody
　　　　you''ve ever known, but you haven''t met her yet.
　　　　She lives down the street. You won''t touch her for years.