10/30/2003

I saw her
through the window
as I
was passing by
her fingers
wrapped around the handle
of a cup
not going anywhere
her chin
cupped
in her other hand
elbow propped
on the table top
staring out
through the glass
past me
at something
beyond appearances
everywhere
my glimpse of her
fleeting
as I kept walking.
She seemed in thrall
to some notion
of incapacitation
between herself
and ends
she had the wherewithal
to reach
a vivid thought
with backbone
more real than
any insight
my brief encounter with her
could reliably provide.
I shuddered
aware again
of how easily
we get
between ourselves
and the
measure of satisfaction
within our grasp.