Jane Ellen Glasser, Entangled
All’s Over
(Title from A. E. Houseman)
Jeffrey Dreiblatt
At first I thought, well, that’s so
European, to carry a wine
bottle in your purse. Days
passed, I noticed her slurred
speech. She took my dog
to the park and returned
with photos of Bess in a
stranger’s house. I started
to question the way her trip
began–a fall at the airport,
delaying her by a day.
After a brief stay she
was off again, but wanted
to return early. I started to
question. Her pleading call,
they don’t understand
me. I had never before
heard her broken, sobbing.
Of course, come. Like
waves on her St. Petersburg
shore, her past crises. I
questioned. Did she lose
the job or did she quit,
moving overseas, far from
anyone who knew her? Oh
that must be so American.
Fights with landlords
and authorities. The waves
must have gotten too
high, even in landlocked
Germany. I could not
trust her alone in the
house for fear of what
I might or might not
find when I got home
from work. Now, my
house battered, I
spoke to her, but she
couldn’t hear. I bundled
my friend, wrapped her
with coats and blankets.
Pushed her out to sea.
(Title from A. E. Houseman)
Jeffrey Dreiblatt
At first I thought, well, that’s so
European, to carry a wine
bottle in your purse. Days
passed, I noticed her slurred
speech. She took my dog
to the park and returned
with photos of Bess in a
stranger’s house. I started
to question the way her trip
began–a fall at the airport,
delaying her by a day.
After a brief stay she
was off again, but wanted
to return early. I started to
question. Her pleading call,
they don’t understand
me. I had never before
heard her broken, sobbing.
Of course, come. Like
waves on her St. Petersburg
shore, her past crises. I
questioned. Did she lose
the job or did she quit,
moving overseas, far from
anyone who knew her? Oh
that must be so American.
Fights with landlords
and authorities. The waves
must have gotten too
high, even in landlocked
Germany. I could not
trust her alone in the
house for fear of what
I might or might not
find when I got home
from work. Now, my
house battered, I
spoke to her, but she
couldn’t hear. I bundled
my friend, wrapped her
with coats and blankets.
Pushed her out to sea.