Almost

The last car left around eleven-thirty

Someone’s sweater still hung on the back of a chair

You stayed to help with the dishes nobody claimed

I dried, you rinsed, we didn’t talk about the year

The radio was low on some old Merle Haggard

You asked if I still drank my coffee black

I said I do, and that was almost everything

We stood there with the water running in the sink

You looked at me the way you used to look

Like the question was already on the page

I kept my eyes on the glass in my hand

And let the moment stay exactly where it was

We almost said it

Almost let the quiet turn into a name

Almost crossed the kitchen like it used to be a room

We knew by heart

Almost

But the light was yellow and the hour was late

And some things stay better when you leave them where they wait

We almost said it

Then we didn’t

And the night was fine

You folded the towel like you still lived here

I put the plates away in the order I prefer

You noticed, smiled a little, didn’t comment

Some kindnesses don’t need to be confirmed

I walked you to the door and turned the porch light on

You said the yard looks different in the fall

I said the maples came in early this year

You nodded once and stepped into the dark

You looked at me the way you used to look

Like the question was already on the page

I kept my hands in the pockets of my coat

And let the moment stay exactly where it was

We almost said it

Almost let the quiet turn into a name

Almost crossed the kitchen like it used to be a room

We knew by heart

Almost

But the light was yellow and the hour was late

And some things stay better when you leave them where they wait

We almost said it

Then we didn’t

And the night was fine

If you call me in the morning, I’ll answer like a friend

Ask about the weather, ask about the week

I won’t mention how the sink still sounds the same

Or how long I stood there after you were gone

We almost said it (almost said it)

Almost let the quiet turn into a name

Almost crossed the kitchen like it used to be a room

We knew by heart

Almost

But the light was yellow and the hour was late

And some things stay better when you leave them where they wait

We almost said it

Then we didn’t

And the night was fine

The night was fine…

Almost…