It’s best to count inwards from the outer rings,
all these layers of bark around my bite
too often gone unseen by those deserving
of my sharp teeth or even sharper words.
Evening is the best time for taking stock.
When sunlight settles softly across my back
and you have to really look to find
the lost marbles rattling loose in drawers.
I can reorder the library as much as I like.
It will be out of place soon enough.
Each new volume stacked into shelves
I will never truly fill.