By Paulette Guerin
The contents are “time-sensitive.”
I slit the envelope with my finger.
Coffee rings line the counter like moon slivers,
measuring lapsed time. In a high corner, a spider is poised
like a little god. I water potted plants
long dead, stare at old pictures held in place
by refrigerator magnets cold to the touch.
Paulette Guerin is a graduate of the MFA program at the University of Florida. She lives in Arkansas and teaches writing, literature, and film. Her poetry has appeared in Best New Poets, ep;phany, Contemporary Verse 2, and others. Wading Through Lethe is her first full-length poetry collection. She also has a chapbook, Polishing Silver.