The Letter

He finds it in her copy of Villette
tonight: addressed and signed and stamped, although
unsealed, unsent. A letter of regret,
written before their wedding years ago.
Written to him. Something she "needed" to do,
a letter of rejection: kind, polite,
but firm, listing reasons (which he knew
were all still true) why he wasn't "right."
The house strangely silent. She's asleep.
The children too. So what does it all imply?
he keeps asking himself. Why would she keep
it? And why would she keep it nearby?
(Maybe because she doesn't want to lose it.
Maybe because she still intends to use it.)

Copyright © 2003 William Baer All rights reserved
from Connecticut Review
Reprinted by Verse Daily® with permission