Trees

I cried when I hugged my brothers goodbye at their rental car

And the Palm trees reassured me I'd made the right choice

As I drove straight to the mattress store

You live here now

This is for you

I watched Friends DVDs on my new mattress

Until the finale coincided with Tikka Masala delivery

Spilling on the bedsheet

When the things I'd sold

And the people I left

Became indistinguishable

The view from my Bellingham kitchen

Was a tree that changed colors with seasons

It never reassured me in the winter

When the passing students could look in

As I washed the dishes

You don't belong here

You should just kill yourself

And the rest of the year,

When it was green, or orange, or red

Had I cleaned enough to deserve the view?

The Palm trees are just Palm trees now

Usually neutral, planted and bending

Leave if you want

Stay if you want