by John Skoyles
And I wrote those reasons
on the ruled grid
of an index card
to preserve the moment, Madam,
when the panels of the hotel
elevator closed,
leaving just us.
A sigh and a kiss
did nicely, Lady,
but when the doors
opened again,
you were again nowhere
near, and now
the file card’s lost too,
with its logical
numerical slate.
I’ve misplaced this and that
over the years, Dear,
but the things I miss most, Miss,
are listed on that card.
From The Atlantic (2019) and Yes and No, Carnegie Mellon University Press (2021)
John Skoyles is professor emeritus of Writing, Literature and Publishing at Emerson College. He is the author of seven books of poems and five of prose.
