It was before (a poem)

It was before I thought

Of what I meant to tell you

It was before I watched the geese disappear

And then stood up to count them

But I stopped trying to count them

Because they were too many

It was before I saw them

Before I heard the first goose calling

Before I caught sight of the crescent moon

And realized that the sun had set

Before I lifted my eyes to the sky

And allowed myself to rest

In my work clothes

But it was before that

That I slipped into myself

Because I had thought enough

It was before the last leaf had fallen

From the tree I was sitting under

And before the siren faded

Into the cityscape

Of the dream you sent me

Before the news died down

And before the wind died down

Before the last edit

It was before I sat

Before I stopped

Before my body said stop

And before I went back to work

In the backyard

It was before our conversation

It was before you left