the thing about puzzles
is that they're oh-so easy to take apart,
and not so simple to put back together again.

the thing about a wild night
is similar. it instills the need
to break the puzzle, to shatter it
piece by little piece,
without regard for what happens later.
and then, they forget how to put it back.

the thing about him
is that she meets him on a wild night,
and he is the wild night—
a few minutes on the dance floor and she's
spilled on his sheets, clenching tightly to him
and moaning his name in between
kisses of fire.

and in a wild rush, she picks the puzzle
apart, leaving it scattered all over the floor
while she rushes off with her new friend
(or, rather, while they stumble off connected at the mouth—

and by the morning after,
the puzzle's fallen back into place—
bile stings her mouth
and she remembers (all too well)
who she is. and she remembers (sort of)
who she's wrapped around.

(and so much later, she sits down
and tries to fit the puzzle back
into place. only it takes her a while
to realize that there's a piece missing.)