to rehearse an oral exam

chattering knees,

trembling castanets of heels down bedroom conscience

with each step a curtsey walking backward.

weve hit the first minute mark and youve been more sorry than loving. did you ever, really?

they say the finest way to recall a speech, or a concerto, is to begin with its ending

the way an eulogy is practiced for someone who hasnt died.

rehearsel goes like this:

like a long-held grudge, you mouth the breakup, 

then a wince of breath with the niceties of a doorman more than a lover, 

before you say your vows. or so i thought.

funny how three words become the hardest to say when its the first thing youre ready to forget.

xo, ry