The Shovel

every afternoon out there
digging
he has that look
so I don’t ask
he gets home
changes his clothes
goes out to the yard and
digs
the hole is getting pretty big
I look out the kitchen window
and I can’t see his head anymore
just
every few seconds
dirt flies out
makes a pitter patter sound
chk pitter patter
chk pitter patter
how do you talk to a guy like that
I bring him some melon
hey
I say
you want some melon?
I reach down into the hole
he leans on his shovel
eats some melon
I go back inside
close the door behind me
nothing
I hear nothing
my brow furrows
then
chk pitter patter
chk pitter patter