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Eliza sat in silence in the dark,
a cigarette forgotten in her hand.
She listened to Sinatra sing Skylark
again, again. She used the dying spark
of each smoke for the next one. Understand --
Eliza sat in silence in the dark,
but not by choice. She liked to watch the arc
of embers falling floorward. Fire fanned,
she listened to Sinatra sing Skylark.
A thoughtless friend, her husband's harsh remark,
a chore undone, or anything else, and
Eliza sat in silence in the dark
again, again. She cleared the room out, stark
save for the record player on its stand.
She listened to Sinatra sing Skylark
while carpet cracked and burned like brittle bark,
like she did. Whiskey- numb, the way she planned,
Eliza sat in silence in the dark.
She listened to Sinatra sing Skylark.
*You can hear the reading of this poem on "in VOICE"
Ruth E. Foley:
She teaches English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) for a nonprofit organization in Massachusetts. Her poems have appeared in over a dozen American magazines in the past few months. "Skylark" was quoted from Agnieszka's Dowry issue 11 published by A Small Garlic Press in March. (Mar. 2001)
Her new web site The Lightning Bell which was founded with her friend poet George, seeks to publish the best new poetry they can find. They say although they are rooted in the East Coast, they are open to other sensibilities. (Aug. 2001)
Copyright by Ruth E. Foley
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