Saturday, January 24, 2015

“After Disappointment” by Mark Jarman











To lie in your child’s bed when she is gone 
Is calming as anything I know. To fall 
Asleep, her books arranged above your head, 
Is to admit that you have never been
So tired, so enchanted by the spell 
Of your grown body. To feel small instead 
Of blocking out the light, to feel alone, 
Not knowing what you should or shouldn’t feel, 
Is to find out, no matter what you’ve said 
About the cramped escapes and obstacles 
You plan and face and have to call the world, 
That there remain these places, occupied 
By children, yours if lucky, like the girl 
Who finds you here and lies down by your side.

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