Ending

Ending

One day you seemed as calm as glass
and made the end of everything begin;
took me to your room and sat me down,
poured out the beads you had been counting
with our days and told me not to gather them,
then laid your head on me and, silently,
said the world is bigger thanI thought.

When I tried to ask you why you smiled
then touched my cheek and said:
Because my love when now and then,
I read a book you would not understand
or cycle home across the bridge with nothing
in my head except the wind and speed,
a bead is just a bead and nothing more.