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