Of course I would never
harm the robin who for

five days has pecked
and fluttered its fur-like breast

against the sliding glass door, despite
his keeping me up most of the night,

and when I do drift off
I dream of roofers

re-shingling above my head.
Of course I loved

my father, and of course he loved me.
Of course regrets do not keep

me up most of the night,
dreaming of how he might

have instead grown into a grey old
man like others have. Of course we know

that if we
hurt something we

will regret it,
so of course we choose not to, but

sometimes do anyway,
and when we

dream at night, of course
we have no control over who’s there.