A Woman Must Have Everything

I know every word

every cadence and guitar riff

to The Hissing of Summer Lawns

we must have listened to it

a dozen times through

every time I got in your car

that winter

Hot air on high

drying my skin

setting my cheeks on fire

just how I liked

and you sang along

only you weren’t always you

when you did

eyes closed, head thrown back

Summer Lawns the soundtrack

to our cold early mornings, watching the sun rise

downtown excursions

where you walked and I ran

searching the sidewalks

and ashtrays

for leftover butts

You would explain the lyrics to me

while I got colder and colder

sweating under my coat

In case I didn’t get

Running from the reels

but I appreciated it more

because you did

I can’t separate the album

from the winter feeling

Watching Springfield get lighter

while you ducked out of the wind

to light a cigarette

Promising the pills wouldn’t kick in

until we were back at Central

and I was happy on the walks

I felt safe on top of that parking garage

and I don’t think I noticed

how bad it was getting

for you