In Such a Way That

BY ERIC PANKEY

Winter ends with a miscellany’s logic: a leaden horizon,

A narrow but unbridgeable distance.

Stolen moments are exchanged for isolated hours,

Elaborate entanglements, a lodging.

One’s suitable room fulfills a double assignment

As a stage and shelter. The heady pollen of stargazer lilies

Covers the bureaus, the desktop, and end tables.

Beyond the window, the sacred mountain

Is depleted of snow. On a frequency

At the far end of the dial, one can hear

Vespers, and recall the little Latin one learned long ago,

Knowing even then it would come in handy

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