I need to know you like I need to draw breath

“Piece from a Kosode with Ginkgo Leaves, Waves, and Butterflies”, resist-dyed and painted plain-weave silk crepe, embroidered with silk and metallic thread. Japan, Edo period (1615–1868), courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

I set about gathering what few pieces I can,
trying to assemble them into a whole
that brings you to some semblance of life.

Tidal remnant rushing around your ankles,
greeted with the beginnings of a smile.

In this small assemblage, a glimpse of you
is obscured by pieces that are mirror-like
through my own eyes.

I need to know you like I need to draw breath,
but no amount of knowledge can ever be the same
as simple familiarity,

nor enough to rouse
a stranger from their sleep.