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.