The Poetry of Thanks

I forgot the nice bottle of wine,

The beautiful card, a nice piece of artisanal cheese,

All of the niceties that good guests leave behind

The ones with good manners and a full head of hair,

We are the bald and the crippled, the overworked nurse who still needs to

Write a presentation for a week from today and gets interrupted for

Another glass of Root, with ice, after a shower and a shave

I meant to do better, but I didn’t, having destroyed two plastic containers

As water expanded to ice, I meant to be a better guest

With excellent manners.

We thank you, Al and Sharon, for a break from looking out the

Same windows, for a comfy bed, for the challenge of finding anything in

Your beautiful kitchen, for your friendship.

!