Staccato Skyline

One, two, three, four—

Wait.

Start again.

Seven hours of sleep

Eight stops to work

Thirty-one before I thought I should know what I was worth

Five unread messages Two cups before noon

I keep adding up the days Like they’re going somewhere soon

I know the numbers

I know the dates

I know exactly

How long I’m late

I counted everything Except the things that mattered Every mile Every year

Every rung upon the ladder I counted everything Trying to get it

right

Then you laughed And I lost count For the first time

All night

Twelve months in a plan

Ten years in my head

How much money should I make

Before I’m doing well?

Three minutes on a call One second before goodbye Funny how the

smallest things Refuse to fit inside

No column for

The way it felt

No number for

Becoming someone else

I counted everything

Except the things that mattered Every mile Every year

Every rung upon the ladder I counted everything

Trying to get it right Then you laughed And I lost count

For the first time

All night

Seven

Five Seven

Four Seven

Five—

What am I counting for?

Maybe I’m early

Maybe I’m late

Maybe there isn’t

A number for this place

Maybe a life

Doesn’t add up

Maybe that’s enough

I counted everything Except the things that mattered All the years

All the plans

All the answers

I was after

I counted everything

Then let it go

One

Two Three— I don’t know

Wrong again. Good.