Sparring at the Party of the Literati
Always the fate questions waiting
on the acquaintances’ lips at the party
of literate friends and erudite foes in the city
row house while the host serves plates
of ceviche, roe, and paté. Two guests arrive
late, then proceed to obliterate
the conversation in medias res. Spectators
all of us, Godot-esque, we wait for
the boxing match to begin and end
with one determination—free will or fate,
the sated winner holding one victorious
boxing glove while the other hand hesitates.
Maureen Sherbondy‘s most recent book is BELONGINGS. She lives in Durham, North Carolina. She teaches English at a community college.
