almost chance

Sometimes whole lives come down
to chance encounters. The person
who you hadn't met. You came in
nick of time, sat down. She'd
just left. Whole lives go by
like that. We dress our best.
Go out. Go work. We are left

unimpressed,
in the dizzying
whirl of potential
and guess. All the lives
we ever saw, ever imagined
unfolding towards
some imagined
best,

always
with the one
we almost met.