CARTOGRAPHY Poem by kristina marie darling

We were no longer in love. The sky, too, was beginning to show its wear. A silk lining could be seen through every slit in the dark green fabric.


I started to wonder where we went wrong. You were holding a map of the constellations. Each of the minor stars had been assigned to a square on a little grid. The map seemed scientific so I approached you.


You kept looking down at your compass. The needle spinning beneath a little screw. Maybe this is where we went wrong.


Above us, the sky is still wearing its green dress. The most delicate strings holding it all in place.