Sliver

Sliver

I remember laughing with you

for the last time

at the art fair,

and when it was time to leave

I walked away

with the reluctance of honey

dripping from the comb.

At least you lived

in the same little house

perfect and white—

hidden from my heart

behind the mesh of trees

where sometimes, driving by,

I could see you drift from car to door

or glimpse the smoke

float upward from your grill

and know you lived happily

up on that ridge without me,

impervious to my daily wish—

which would have altered

so much sweetness

had it come true.

And now that you’re buried

I find I can’t remove

that yellow T-shirt from the hanger

to wear

or offer to the rummage sale

because it represents

the sliver of possibility

that always seemed to contain

and separate us,

especially in that public place

where you hugged me so tightly

within the thick arms of the crowd

where my wish—

so wing-like and fragile—

soared before it fell

and entered earth,

finally broken.

DeMaris Gaunt

6-15-14

Published by demarisgaunt

I currently live in Greenwood, Indiana. I love to listen to music, books on CD, podcasts or NPR as I work in my studio. My favorite artists are Andrew Wyeth and Edward Hopper. I love poetry, but only the good stuff that isn’t so abstract I can’t understand it. Abstraction better lends itself to visual art, I think. Stephen Dunn is my favorite poet. He’s said just about anything that can be said about the inner workings of the heart and mind. My favorite novel is Atonement by Ian McEwan. My all time favorite band is The Cure. I love science, and anything that relates to how the mind works. I don’t believe in the supernatural. If I could meet anyone in the world, it would be Richard Dawkins or Steven Pinker. If you don’t buy my art or read my poetry, buy one of their books. It will enrich if not change your life. My favorite things to do are hiking, kayaking and camping. My favorite food is so common, I’ll keep you in suspense (It starts with a P). I prefer chocolate to vanilla. Green is my favorite color. I have an aversion to planning or scheduling of any kind, and I live for spontaneous adventures! Telephone conversations make me anxious, and I avoid them at almost all cost. I had a happy childhood. I’m having a pretty fantastic adulthood. I have every intention of seeing my 100th birthday, after which I will happily relinquish my guts to the future of medicine. Cheers! ~DeMaris View more posts