After all the long walks,
some, hand-in-hand,
after the installment of dishwashers,
shower heads, ballcocks, finials,
after eggs and potatoes, kebabs,
beet salads with goat cheese,
after nostalgia replaces reality,
after coolness on the couch,
after tiptoeing in the rain
for the paper,
after all of this,
here we are,
a loop of television news,
brandy-laced fruitcake,
coffee rings in the sink,
sinus medicine,
cancer scares,
counterpoint to quiet,
nose to nose,
in a goodish way,
snow silently building a wall.
