So Much Needs to be Said
By Millicent Borges Accardi,
So much needs to be
Said. There is thickness
And the air feels dark
As if the world
is delayed on a corner near
by to catch the bad
news, starting with? They had two
Good seasons where the leaves
Were dry and our dreams owned
Special powers, then, it was easy
Not fast. The creek was rushing
And full, reminding her of an old
Soldier, spitting into a
Tin case, with red and black
Polish sitting in his hand
Like a pack of easy cigarettes
I’ll bet he has a carton of those
Too. On the carpet next
To his dresser is a shoe rack
And he stands, there, where
He puts on his tie every morning
Standing on one foot as he eases
On his slip ons and calmly pulls through
A double Windsor knot, wrapping
The left hand around twice before
sorting it through. He hears
Sirens and looks out the low window
To the backyard, already heating
Up with smoke, like the fog
Coming in. He folds a daily
White handkerchief for
His side pant’s pocket
And checks the gold watch
Before smoothing the surface
Of his 1928 liberty lady
Half-dollar.
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Millicent Borges Accardi, a Portuguese-American writer, is the author of four poetry books, most recently Only More So (Salmon Poetry). Her awards include fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Fulbright, CantoMundo, Creative Capacity, the California Arts Council, The Corporation of Yaddo, Fundação Luso-Americana, and Barbara Deming Foundation. She lives in the hippie enclave of Topanga, CA and recent work is in Laurel Review, Mantis, Quiddity and The Journal.
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