2nd grade poetry book as self portrait

James Bowden

I wrote two letters today; I hold onto that.
I move through rooms though their ceilings
        are far from circular
        I am not tall
        many embraces have we been in

I don’t have as many teeth as this self portrait would suggest,
        nor nearly as white
        nor can I pull my lips far apart enough to expose them as
        such.
All the bits we have been taught, and for what?

I smiled at you childishly, wonderfully the other day.
I told someone I love about you.
        talked about how beautiful we are,
                have been,
                how well we lose ourselves in each other.

This you is quite plural,
        and incredibly singular at the same time:
does that make sense? do you read me? houston? houston??