Having Grown Up Among Spies

With her monstrous
green eyes unfocused,
Emily slips
past us.

As she crosses our lives oddly
and breathes out of sync
with the rhythm of our days
her meetings with us have

been messy.
Yet we know she sees us
because she sits in our chair
and jumps when we discuss

amazing things.
Marked books sprawl on the table.
Entreating letters still arrive
for her to dismiss.

But Emily loses weight
even as she dines in this world
and gains weight
in another.