Two Poems by Steven Deutsch

 

Where I’m Writing From

 

A library cubicle—

under a flickering 

fluorescent—

watching sleet

cover the trees

through the spattered

window. Tea icy

and ideas 

as stingy as the heat.

 

But, I swear

it won’t 

always be that way

 

In the sun,

with coffee

and croissants 

that replenish 

themselves

like that porridge 

pot in Grimm.

 

With a view

of the beach,

and children

laughing

like Munchkins

after the Witch

of the East

was squashed.

 

And, it will

be going well—

my hand barely 

able to keep up

with the words—

like I had

a laureate 

whispering

in my head.

 

And you’ve written

to say

you’ll join 

me soon—

although the drive

is a long one—

a happily

ever after—

I know,

like the tales

we once cherished

as children.

 

 Balter

 

“In the end,

you are left

with just your

memories,”

 

my cousin Eddie 

murmured.

It was just after

his third cardiac

 

event, and there

wasn’t much meat

left on his 6’

4” frame.

 

I wondered why

they called them

events—as if you

might purchase 

 

a ticket to attend.

We called him

“Too Tall”

and I remembered

 

that his favourite

expression as a child

was “willya sign

my cast.”

 

“Too Tall” was always

falling down 

or getting up—

prone to trip 

 

on sidewalk 

imperfections invisible

to the rest 

of us.

 

“Remember when 

my parents got

me dancing lessons

for my 12^th birthday

 

and I thought 

I’d die of shame,”

he said in a whisper.

“I was graceless,”

 

he grinned—

“I never told

them how much 

I loved those lessons.”

 

I watched his eyes

linger on a photo

of his wife.

He’d met her in class—

 

all 5’2’ of her.

So shy 

she blushed

when she smiled.

 

She’d died this winter

leaving her dancing

partner a wall of trophies

and empty arms

 

I left him

with his memories—

I do believe 

he was humming a waltz.

Steve Deutsch has been widely published both on line and in print. Steve was nominated twice for the Pushcart Prize. He is poetry editor for Centered Magazine. His Chapbook, Perhaps You Can, was published in 2019 by Kelsay Press. His full length book, Persistence of Memory was published in 2020 by Kelsay, Steve’s third book of poetry, Going, Going, Gone, has just been published.