I had a dream
That I was in the middle of
retrieving shredded wheat
and cheerios
from my own private stash because the housemate who always ate them
had moved out
and the new housemate said that she’d eat them with me

When

I realized that you were talking to me from my pocket
My phone was on and I rushed
to say your name so you wouldn’t hang up ¡God!
it’s been so long since I heard your voice
and there it was just like
yesterday
except that I could hear unsaid tears in your voice as we struggled
to get past pleasantries and cell phone reception to
whatever had prompted you to call
<<me>>
to say something
<<real>>
after all these years.

-Toshio Kuratomi, Porto, 2023