What we hold on to

I threw out the rest of your stuff

When you never replied to my last text

About returning them, its been months and

I didn't think you cared about them anymore,

Or anything else you left behind.

I threw out the rest of your stuff,

except for your books, which you

Had carried with you all the way from

New York, and so I carried them, too,

From my house that we shared, 

back when there were three of us,

To the apartment I moved into,

Once there was just one.

I threw out the rest of your stuff, 

except for your books, 

“Amari” by BB Alston, and

“Carry On” by Rainbow Rowell, and 

“Imagine Me,” and

“Defy Me,”and

“Unravel me,”

All three by Tahereh Mafi,

Oh, and the crochet bumblebee

that I had hoped

would remind you

of me.

I threw out the rest of your stuff, 

Except for all your books, which I notice now

Almost all have purple and blue covers

Your favorite colors

Sometimes I thought you bought your books

Because of the covers, 

Like the ones you used to hide under,

reading them 

while your mom raged

like my dad once did

I guess we all buy books

Because of their covers

I threw out the rest of your stuff,

Except for all your books, 

They still sit on my shelf,

In case someday you decide 

you actually do need me

to get them.