he remembers
silver paper stars
on the ceiling above his bed
but no one else does
the ones who would
are gone


he knows
she put the stars there
just for him


but now
she is gone
and only he remembers


the sandbox
by the back porch
where he could dig and play
hour upon hour
he remembers


and how he cried
to discover the birds
devouring his modeling dough
carelessly abandoned
on the table
in the yard


he remembers
how she laughed
and made him more


but now
she is gone
and only he remembers
only he remembers
only he
he only
remembers
paper stars