long story

"it is a long story"
i said as a catapult sang 
herself toward ambrosia.
the war was luckily all wooden 
this time & so we put in headphones 
& ambled away to the basement. 
we he been sitting in front 
of the portal & talking 
nonsense when you asked me
where i stole my eyes from.
you replied, "please tell me,
i need to know. i don't care
how long a story." we both
had lion's tails we bartered for.
i lay mine across my lap 
& contemplated your attention span.
outside, birds were huddling
in fear. a grey cloud fathered
the fields, meaning he pummled them.
i agreed & began. the story
had whimpers & muck.
the story pulled us through
croquet arches. i talked so long
i passed the eyes & moved on
to the origins of my heart.
how at the dawn of time 
a mistress pluck it from
a fallen apricot tree. wrapped it
in plastic & shipped it off
to the future. there yours was too.
an orphaned plum. too ripe
for its own good. how do any of us
endure these durations. 
my story skipped like 
pinewheels in too much wind.
the portal asked, "why do you say
so much?" the story crumbled
& released us. i glared 
at the portal. who asked you,
i thought. portal are always
trying to coax you away from your bliss.
i took out an ear bud. war still
knocking around. you said,
"could i tell you a long story?"
i said, "only if you tell it
twice. once longer than the first."
the windows scabbed over.
in the dark, your voice
was the only moon. both my eyes
trembling like wet river rocks.