Assignation

I did not remember

(as I so often do)

until I saw it in her hand

I gave you that,

I said without thought

You did? she asked, un

abashedly

she did not remember

(as she so often does)

and began to turn and turn and

turn

the lavaliere,

as though one

turn

might be

right,

might be

key,

might re

cover

all she has

lost

Yes, I nodded,

watching

the silver gold trail

from her crumpled

fingers to her criss

crossed palm

it had come from

Him

one piece of a set

given at some

sort

of gifting

time

There were earrings, I said

I don’t think so, she said

Yes, I said, there were ear

ings, I said. I kept them,

I said, and gave

this

to you.

Ok, she said,

(as she so often does)

unable, unwilling, too

tired

to contest

But, she asked. Why?

this I could not

answer

this I did not

(do not)

know, and

she,

having finally

become

who life has

made her,

accepted

my

ignorance

without debate

Well, you should take it back

now, she said, pressing the

cold to my hand. It looks so

much like you, she said. Not

like me at all, she said. So, take it

back now. Wear it, she said, with the

earrings.

I don’t know, I whispered,

where

they are.

I don’t know, I whispered,

what

has

become of them.

lifting the pendant

to the light, I re

called the

bite

of diamonds as

they pavé’d

down

my lobes, I re

called the

brush

of pearls

dangling

silk

against my skin

(where were they)

(what happened)

were they hurled

from the topless

car,

across the creaking

deck,

into the muddied

waters

or

were they

(simply)

left behind

one tangled in

his

bed,

another in

his,

both

bloodied

ripped out

un

recovered

Lost

in some long ago

night

of striving to

Forget

Mommy,

I said to the

dusky mirror,

I have mis

laid

so much.

her grey eyes

(so unlike mine)

watched us un

flinchingly

I know, sugar.

(said the mouth we share)

But it doesn’t matter.

Wear it anyway.