Yesterday

I would have forgotten

What I found in your

Raincoat pockets

So I made this list.

Left pocket:

Fistful of smooth glass

Pebbles—

Green, red, clear, blue

One tiny plastic tabby cat.

Right pocket:

Little music box

Missing its case—

The one your Papa

Trash-picked last year.

We found it yesterday

While cleaning out

The van.

It fits into the palm

Of your hand,

Slowly playing

Yesterday

By the Beatles

As you turn the little crank.

From your bed

You requested

That I bring you

Your raincoat—

The blue one

With little ship anchors

On it—

So you could pull

Some music

From the pocket

To help you

Fall asleep.

This is how

I learned

There is

Something very

Still, very sacred

About the slower,

Slower, slower

Notes from

A music box…

How they

Fade,

When a tired

Little hand

Has stopped

Turning the

Crank.