The Unseen Peel

The house sighs, a settling drone,

no one stirs, I'm truly alone.

Your breath, a steady, muted sweep,

while I pull plastic from its sleep.

Each label, gummed, a stubborn skin,

I pry it loose, let silence win.

No jagged tear, no careless rip,

just slow, clean work, from edge to lip.

Tomato sauce, some murky tea,

I scrape the glue, for only me.

To make the bottle smooth and bare,

a small, strange truth I don't quite share.