The Last Time I Was Here

Baby bottles, mismatched sock, and an old cookie under the couch that gathered dog hair –

There’s oil stains in the driveway and a wrench clearly forgotten on the peg board.

Cheerful mums seem out of place on the side stoop.

Shouldn’t they be moved to the front?

But the front is actually the back and there’s no avoiding dog-pee dead grass on that side.

A small patio is sheltered by the neighbors’ balcony where they grill but aren’t supposed to.

Chores were done or went undone as did promises and leaving wasn’t an option entertained early in the day, but it must’ve come to visit because the last time I was here still echoes.