Invention of Heartbreak

by Emily Bjustrom

I feel I invented heartbreak-
Tinkering over a magnifying glass with tiny sharp tools- I made of my pain
A delicate and soft pocket watch!
That I open and close
On the way home from work
Or while I wash my hair or stir the soup on the stove
The clasp whispers open and shut
Miss you
Miss you
Miss you

I try over and again
To jam the pocket watch into the empty socket you left in my gums
I tongue it over and over
Miss you

The watch won’t fit
Heartbreak can’t fill the space where love has been
Yet it ticks and turns
I pet it and wait

For your mood to change.