dividing everything in two

in the divorce,

by law,
we divided everything 

equally

regardless

of whose fault it was.

who lied,

who cheated,

meant nothing.
the house, the money.
the dishes,
the couch. the bed.
we split
it all down the middle.

we were trying to be

reasonable and fair

to one another unlike

how we lived.

all things were torn

in two.

but the dog
and the child
winced and whimpered

at the sound

of the power saw

starting up
as we laid them down

to cut.