From It Begins with the Body. Published by Book*hug in 2018.

i stayed long enough to see the park
replaced
brand-new signs
a slide
without my name carved underneath
the house’s windows got an upgrade
the screen won’t pop off now
no more roof nights
i stayed long enough
to see the dealer under house arrest
get his freedom and
get caught again
to see dogs die
max the stray disappear
there is a white cat in his place now
they built a sidewalk outside the
chain-link
but the gravel was fine
the empty field became
a pile of dirt became a plaza
with a restaurant
the tree in the backyard came down
something about a hazard
and our responsibility
i stayed long enough
to see the kids go off to uni
the cute guy with the red mustang
became a man
and drove that car away
the stream in the woodlot nearby
ran dry
a girl with pink hair walks her dog
now
and i don’t know her name
i used to know everybody’s name
i love you all but
i stayed too long