i have been losing adverbs

since we met adverbs

because although i know the categories

of time

of place

of degree

of manner

of frequency

i refuse to change or qualify the verbs

that he and i have been using

to narrate physical actions

mental reactions

and states of being

because love does not need an adverb, nor

in fact a subject loving

suffices when done right, though if pushed

i may use an adverb of certainty

say, indubbiamente

i have been losing pronouns

since we parted pronouns

because the verbs we used are all there

give

take

love

fake

breathe

but when i try to recall the subject of each one

the pronouns play Twister in my mind

and maybe

in his too because

he sent a goodbye letter

with the pronouns scattered like pop-corn on

a cinema floor so i get

on my knees, carefully pick them up and try

making sense of their placing

someone loved