Defenses Poem by Randy Resh

She'll never say it
This, nor the other:

She will never
ever
love again

The fence her fortress
forewarning 'bidding
'boding

The fence her offense
insipid speech of silence

tepid

The fence is fencing

The fence her armour
sword word arrow
passive aggressive
disconnected
sultry desultory dagger

But when she lowers her glasses
in such the way smiling

i steal a glimpse
there is no defense



copyright Randy Resh 2008


The Toronto Quarterly,2009