Poem by Way of Example

For instance shoes.
For instance feet in shoes
on tiptoes to kiss. For instance fingers
interlocking. For instance a thin
layer of sweat between hands.
For instance atoms
never quite touching other atoms
depending on your definition
of touch. For instance contrasting
views. For instance flashes
of light and spontaneous
darkness. For instance the hush
of a crowd when the hero
is stabbed. For instance hands
again. For instance hands on implements
inserted into bodies. For instance
euphemisms. For instance the first time.
For instance instants. For instance
one grain of fallen sand. For instance
two grains of fallen sand. For instance
subsequent grains of fallen sand
leading to a philosophical quandary.
For instance eternity. For instance human
fallibility and appropriate responses
to it. For instance existentialism.
For instance love. For instance
I loved you. For instance language.
For instance phrases. For instance
for instance. For instance it passed
in the blink of an eye. For instance
it’s finished. For instance a spotlight
on the hero when he returns
to the stage to bow. For instance
a red velvet sheet closing
over your body in a bed
you once shared. For instance
a whisper from a ghost
that is actually the wind. For instance
music. For instance a breakup
song, or for instance a quiet walk
in the forest on the first day of fall.