poem of the day
In a Couple
When you were young love
so often muted you. Now, though,
you see that the point of conversation
may be to give each other courage.
You pass along a book you've read,
something with closure, so that
he too can be relieved for a little
of his restlessness. Or point out
how the snow that was promised
has somehow been forfeited. Say
anything. For the children of friends
have come to look like their impostors.
And where is the sun that rushed out
to greet you? Now for cheer, only
the careless rubbings of the moon.
Meanwhile, your words are
tolling you in and out of each other's
concentration. Listen. What it means,
I love you and why, incessant
repetition. As when you are
very young, a child, there's
that moment of recognition,
the eyes open, the translation begins.
Elaine Terranova
Ellipsis ... Literature and Art
Volume 38, Spring 2002