John Grey

Old lines at the bottom of a drawer -
did I really feel that emotion?

And did she respond on seeing this,
as if fancy adjectives
reflect a more than fancy adjectival heart.

To be honest,
if it weren´t for the woman´s name
at the title of the piece,
she´d be a totally missing person.

And there is no face in these lines,
unless it´s Helen of Troy´s.

I´ve partnered her with roses,
a millpond and the rays of the sun.
And she rhymes,
or nearly so.

I just happen to have the evidence.
But the crime itself eludes me.
I was at the age
where my memory blurs.
My past just can´t be trusted with people.