The Day I Almost Won the Lottery

The day I almost won the lottery,
short a bob or two and shy one number.

The day the sky came nearer to the Earth
than you want to think is possible,
my destiny tangled in old fishing line,
sea mist clinging close to shore,
gulls mocking me in my desperation.

The day I almost walked away from myself.
Leaving my skin behind. Abandoning my old shoes.
A single empty hanger in the closet swinging perpetually,
as if wind ran through the house
and a great truth had been denied me.