it all started

when i forgot your name.

we survived a room full of people

by ignoring each other

& waited so long

that it began to feel like action,

began to feel like memories eroding.

a simple virus,

leaving only an outline.

a hypodermic needle.
a man sleeping under a tree.
a tag cloud of memories
distributed in the mail.

there were weather patterns,
anatomical diagrams & other
continuations of science.

i held my breath & thought
of all the things
which are not quite photographs,
but always framed.