It’s always been a temptation
of mine when I see a loose thread
to pull at its end. I could cut it
off, so it stops in its tracks. A short, piece

that doesn’t hang won’t get caught
in something. Sometimes I think I pull
to see how long it will go or how much
it will take with it when it does. I know

by doing this I am leaving a hole. I poke
my finger through it several times. And it expands
to take the whole of my hand. A little piece
of thread with just a tiny pull become a gaping

hole. I could have tucked it in. I could have
tied a knot at the end. I could have been careful,
made sure it didn’t catch on anything. It’s as if
I helped in its destruction, maybe enjoyed it, even.