Eye to Eye

Peter Siedlecki


She sat across from me,
speaking
of how she wanted to be touched
by something other than clouds.

I wanted to touch her
with the one truth I know
--that one should spend one's life
learning how to love
being alive.

But her disillusionments
came fluttering out of her
like pigeons against a dark sky
and landing on me:

a crumbling monument to roses
with eyes full of yesterdays
that suddenly looked up
and took in
all of that incredible
youth and beauty

sitting across from me,
speaking
to me

And I knew once again
that my truth was true

CoverPriorNext

The 2River View, 2_4 (Summer 1998)