“Where am I standing, if I’m
to stand still now?”
–Denise Levertov
With furtive glances
over unsure feet,
I steel myself
against myself,
unsure
of what
to say:
excuses
have no reason
than to weave
another lie;
to tell the truth
is awkward
beneath a clearer sky.
I gather my words
like knives until
my tongue bleeds
into my hands.
I did not mean
to hurt you
in what I left behind.
(from a work in progress: “Arcana,” VIIswords, February 9, 2014)
subtext 