Mollie Chambers

Before Sleep

In these moments, I imagine our love

thriving, like the pears

heavy on the tree out back,

the peppers all but breaking the stems today.

Tomorrow I’ll see the sun

was too angry, the deer too hungry,

and all will have changed

while I slept.

Even now, as I write this before a sweet

afternoon nap, I know I will love you

less when I wake, and I will be

slightly more dead.