SECOND NATURE

Just before admitting
that it might feel good
to talk about it,

you realized—something must be wrong 

when you could not help but notice, specifically 

how the sum total

of perfect pearls 

of last night's rainwater—all

beaded, stilled,

and gathered-up clear 

on a narrow yellow spear

of fallen leaf 

lying and glinting back
up at you, there
in the new morning
sun—was,

somewhat disappointingly,

one number off—

from your usual self-declared 

lucky one.