Unknown location
Eve Rifkah
She walked out the door
turned a corner turned around widdershins
she thought turning backwards like turning time
someplace else someplace not here
where am I now, she thinks this time of day
or was it yesterday
going out the door to someplace else
if she walks out the door again
and turns clockwise what will happen
where will she go
from here today or was it yesterday
the house at the end of the street looks familiar
or maybe dreamt
at the crosswalk a car slows down how unusual
a car slowing by the crosswalk here
where cars whiz by
she invisible
she looks down sees arms sees dress with blue flowers
visible today
or was it yesterday
she turns to the lake
sits watching swans and geese
wanting to float like that
drift away on a quiet day
times drifts away or does it
when she rises to walk back
she forgets tries following the contours of the lake
wonders where she came from
walks widdershins again
dizzy in circles
she thinks if I try this again
maybe…
turned a corner turned around widdershins
she thought turning backwards like turning time
someplace else someplace not here
where am I now, she thinks this time of day
or was it yesterday
going out the door to someplace else
if she walks out the door again
and turns clockwise what will happen
where will she go
from here today or was it yesterday
the house at the end of the street looks familiar
or maybe dreamt
at the crosswalk a car slows down how unusual
a car slowing by the crosswalk here
where cars whiz by
she invisible
she looks down sees arms sees dress with blue flowers
visible today
or was it yesterday
she turns to the lake
sits watching swans and geese
wanting to float like that
drift away on a quiet day
times drifts away or does it
when she rises to walk back
she forgets tries following the contours of the lake
wonders where she came from
walks widdershins again
dizzy in circles
she thinks if I try this again
maybe…
Eve Rifkah was co-founder of Poetry Oasis, Inc. (1998-2012), a non-profit poetry association. Founder and editor of DINER, a literary magazine. She is the 2021 recipient of the Stanley Kunitz award. The play Outcasts the Lepers of Penikese Island was based on her first book. She has six books. She lives in Worcester, MA. Webpage: eve-rifkah.com