before i learned
what ‘divorce’ meant,

our dads kept
matching goatees, which they wore

proudly to buc’s games and played
with when they told the story of the massive

fight they won in the nosebleed
seats of the stadium.

when i was five i heard the electric
razor buzz of whiskers disappearing

behind bathroom doors,
rumors uttered under breath

and the way they told me
“i love you”

as if it were a competition.
and i still don’t know what the prize was