The Rains of September
Now in the dampness
of this bottom,
awaiting the rains of September,
I list on a small scrap of paper
the realities of tragedy, the un-
said word, the misspent dollar,
the day stolen from vacation
years ago, the crash of china
plate to hard wood floor,
and if in this
moment I call
out your name, what I should
have done then, in doing it now,
what health does this show of
the heart as all the cells
of the skin desire water:
The damp warmth of dancing
in the rain before saying goodbye?
The 2River View, 2_4 (Summer 1998)