Bone Adam Gave
for D.B.A.

i.
poem pumping iron
muscles to make taut
elasticity to make consistent

must not allow another writer
to insert his steps in yours

each poetic step your own step
your own essence in it

when it is someone else's
how apparent this is

line from elsewhere, imported, inserted

critics, experts, able to tell
that one of 38 plays
is not Shakespeare’s
is not his exclusively

who able to tell
what of Mozart's Requiem
he himself wrote
and what and where
what was added
to complete it

line I gave you like a prosthetic limb
wooden, wouldn't do

what do you need my limb for
my bone for

unless it is one you haven't got
bone Adam gave
for Eve to be created

I've another bone
to make you and me creative

my 207th
is yours and mine to share

neither yours nor mine
this to fill you in with
to fill you up with

answer to insert in a blank
deposit with deposit slip
to slip into the bank

ii.
een no poem left in me
about her, about D'Anthra
passing feces to add in, to add on

aborted our conversation last evening
and she allowed me to, encouraged me to
to get to Historical Society for an event
which I thought commenced
at half-past-seven

got there running to get there
got on the back of a truck
to be transported part of the way
to find the building shut up tight
all locked up with chains and lock
to secure the front door

event I thought began at half-past-seven
began at 6 p.m.

regretting having mixed up event last evening
with another event this evening, at the Hilton
which does start at 7:30 p.m.

left delicious, delightful conversation
to run my heart out, my guts out
to get to what was already over

The Lord lets such things happen
for his own reason

I do not question, I go along
thought I do regret having to choose
to relinquish such a tie

our critique of her poetry, of mine
our literary chat, regretting giving that up

“How do you know
so much about literature?”
she asked and I said, "Right!”

but I've been searching myself
my head and heart
for a better answer
to her flattering question


© Obediah Michael Smith, 2010
Written between 7:45 p.m.
Thursday, March 25
and 1:28 a.m., Friday,
March 26, 2010