Plurality

I told them we all went to that new place,

the one with the long tables and the beer.

I even described the look on Sarah’s face

just to make the lie feel sharp and clear.

But there’s only one plate sitting in my sink

and the TV is reflecting in the glass.

It’s harder than a person ought to think

to watch the slow and quiet hours pass.

I’m holding up a story like a shield

so no one asks me why I’m here alone.

But every time the truth is near revealed,

I feel the hollow coldness in my bone.