Because: A Poem

Because these words existed before

they could fill our mouths

Because our parents said them

and our grandparents and great-

grandparents because they echo

until they shed their meaning

becoming syllables of ember,

lit matches winging

to yartzeit candles.

Because Warsaw,

Because we slam doors

on those we love

Because the floor boards creak

as we walk room to room

because someone knows where we are,

where we belong. Because months,

because fire, because sweets, because

crumbs, because holes, because seeds,

because we are born

to repeat and they are born

to tune out

until it is the voice

of memory and her hands

stitching a loop:

because I love you, because

I said so, because

I love you, I love

you, I love you