“Litany” with a wink at Elizabeth Bishop

Litany

The day I lost my mother’s breast I gained sustenance

The day I lost my way home from school I learned trust

The day I lost my mind I journeyed forth into the world

The day I lost my agility I gained fluency

The day my bones gave out I learned to remember

Lost hair, a pulled tooth, three screws in the right femur

They say a penny lost is another gained

But the day I lost you, Dear, I lost the vessel that held mylife

After I lost that jar, I had no place left forpennies.