I looked for the crumbs of January in a poem about snow. I chanted the words, O terrible white beauty and the waitress raised her eyebrows, tapped her pen against her wrist. She asked, Are you reading poetry? the way someone asks, Are you wearing pants? The idea seemed so unusual, that I imagined she had never undressed for anyone. I told her that I could still remember the lines from a poem someone sent me one Valentines When you appear all the rivers sound in my body. She told me that sometimes she can hear the ocean from her apartment window. She thinks that all water tries to speak to us, even the coffee brewing behind her on the counter. Note: O terrible white beauty is from David Lehmans poem, January 16 and When you appear all the rivers sound in my body is from Pablo Nerudas poem, The Queen.© Kelli Russell Agodon
Previously published in DMQ Review