whenever i feel hopeless
i tell myself
hope isn’t a feeling
it’s honey on cereal
roaming the bookstore for 45 minutes
choosing something you’ve never heard of,
about writers and why they need dogs,
buying it even though your shelves are full.
It’s being happy Both Sides Now still makes you cry
making a dumb joke online
and putting floral wallpaper up in a place
you do not own