leavings       a collection of left-over poems       John Bailey      

 

So...

When there's nothing left to say
or nothing needed
a simultaneous "so"
can end a long silence.

A general "so?" can be a greeting,
barman to customer,
easier on the chords
than anything longer.

A sighed "so..." can be a part
of the quotidian of the day,
marking a slip from
one tired routine to another.

A whispered "so..." can prelude
a sweet encounter, perhaps
leading to passion, perhaps not.

 

Somerset 1998

 

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