As children, having to miss out
on anything, we learn
to eavesdrop, ears to walls,
eyes to keyholes, listening
at the top of the stairs.

If we live long enough,
we know that we miss out
on almost everything
and the little we know is

more than enough or much
more than enough--for that matter,
we know and pretend not to know
that almost everything happens
elsewhere, to someone else.