1902. Zurich The Study of Time
Where they lived
Books lay like stones under the wheels of the day, like under
the rockers of a chair. (His mother never visited for she still lay in bed
screaming and pulling herself bald headed from the news). Nevertheless
they had married . Dreams now jammed their pockets and mailbox Like the
ones he carried in his head on the tram both ways through the tunnel into
the city While back on the hill of apartments Dingy sheets dried over the
dank, weedy garden Voices and laughter rose from the kitchen sewer Where
she in her slavish devotion, Cooked and scrubbed for insulting boarders
just so he Might go on with his studies. Sometimes walking for miles to
get a cheap piece of meat or cabbage.
And when the baby stared at them
Making him nervous she gave it away.
He never noticed. All hours were sunk so deep
In note keeping.
Then somehow changes started in this woman.
Cunning in manner, cat like, you’d say as in
the evenings when she began to set the clocks back just to see,
Yet there he was anyway, always opening the door
His bold eyes like red circles
Around her mistakes
saying he wished he knew where the time went
while she said yawh, yawh, wish I knew where it comes from.
Copyright © Jo Neace Krause 2002
Jo has published in various literary journals including The Yale Review,
The Exquiste Corpse, University of South Carolina. Other Voices.
University of Windsor, The Little Magazine, River City, Wel Del Sol,In
Posse, Tatlin’s Towers, Witness Magazine, et al. Her short story,
Idoltry, which appears in the current issue of The Potomac Review, has
been nominated to be read on National Public Radio in March.
These poems may not be archived or distributed further without
the author’s express permission. Please read the license.
This electronic version of 1902. Zurich The Study of Time is published
by The Richmond Review by arrangement with the author. For rights information, contact The Richmond Review in the first instance
