she stared at him
as if there was nothing else to look at
when they had been together a month or so
he finally wanted to know more about her
he did not know how to touch her
or even how to desire such expertise
immense sadness engulfed her
the silent expanse between words and whispers
*
she found another rife with lustrous gestures
could pretend that there was love in his eyes
last chance to be observed measured desired
before her contents were judged by their cover
must open now delicate flower the bitter taste of her
progress was slow their hands prancing like puppeteers
her body as canonized sculpture his lips trembling
she left him against the wall saturated in exultation
*
another agreed to marry because he had no more use for her
she had different eyes then the full consonance of eventide
no warmth of daylight could any longer rouse her heart
but one day and another and watching while life goes by
years later she would hardly remember his face
he had asked who she would be without him
so he became a paintstruck clown in her rare dreams
when he died earlier than expected she learned to worship
*
her son escaped her elapsed endearment
he had found a beautiful vessel to convey his luggage
she was now the mother over whom a wife had to prevail
there was the occasional call she could not accept
nor could she endorse her spellbound grandchildren
crawling about to the beat of some uncanny anapest
better to be unobtrusive and learn to die alone
her heart was a diamond waiting to be excavated
*
she released her love to one who asked hard questions
he had mastered a way to argue that made her cackle
he took photographs and lingered over the wrinkles
love could be careless and she was glad to listen with her mouth
they had hoarded enough allegory to recite over coffee and toast
each had survived an entire life with souls stored elsewhere
their hearts encumbered with yearnings but having lingered
now no longer waiting to be reunited
