Bice Blue and the Continuous Present
Past perfect
mode of leaving well enough alone,
as in he had been here but left
flat hand of what can’t be undone —
not by revision, not by adjustment
(door knob screwed tight,
bracket for the cellar step at last)
Simple past
thinly strung to the present
as in he was here but left:
air-borne leaves in updrafts,
dust caught in scratches on old windows:
(key in the Honda lock,
engine echo in the driveway)
Continuous present
promising the world
as in he is coming any minute now:
bice-blue sky with lissome swills
morphing to elephants, rabbits, squirrels:
(everyone romping the lawn,
some with soccer balls)
Continuous future,
as in he will be coming: ominous
pause, reluctance in the form
of excuses scribbled on envelopes
slipped under the hallway door
(me still looking
for your return.)
First published in The Paris Review