Poem for my one-legged lover, the wine gass, no. 50

Our last meeting,
Two ashes touched.

I gazed at her,
But she did not see me.

I held her hand,
But she had no hands.

She wore black gloves,
Empty, filled with words.

I watched my embrace leave my body,
Stand with its face to the wall.

Although she is by me,
She is in a shop window.

My tears look for her tears,
My tears find themselves alone.

^

Biography

Duane Locke, Doctor of Philosophy in English Renaissance literature, Professor Emeritus of the Humanities, was Poet in Residence at the University of Tampa for over 20 years. Has had over 2,000 of his own poems published in over 500 print magazines such as American Poetry Review, Nation, Literary Quarterly, Black Moon, and Bitter Oleander. Is author of 14 print books of poems, the latest print book is WATCHING WISTERIA ( to order write Vida Publishing, P.O. Box 12665, Lake, Park, FL. 33405-0665, or Amazon or Barnes and Noble). Since September 1999, he became a cyber poet and started submitting on-line, and since September 1999 he has added to his over 2,000 print acceptances with 1,972 acceptances by e zines. 28 more to reach having over 4,000 poems published.