from "Second Home"

XXV

Seyyid gives me his word I take him at
that his shop's kilims are as soft as silk,
all natural, old, & indestructible.
Just as the truth lies somewhere in between
his claims & my suspicions, we arrive
together at the final cost by splitting
the difference between the fortune that he asks
& the pittance I first offer in return.
I feign indifference to the piece I crave;
acting, too, he complains he'll sacrifice
his profit. In the end I pay the price
I can afford, while he gets what he needs.
Such back-&-forth weaves the social fabric.
In fact, "shopping" translates as "give-&-take."

Copyright © 2002 Randy Blasing All rights reserved
from Second Home
Copper Beech Press
Reprinted by Verse Daily® with permission