Dictionary of Omissions
“The chief shortcoming of the Dictionary is, paradoxically, that it is so good that one wishes it were larger…”
— Modern Language Review
The atlas of my sunken continents,
the empty bowl I used to keep my fish in,
the shoebox of expired pawn tickets,
and this, my Dictionary of Omissions.
Words I’d withheld like an obsessive hoarder
have been arrayed in alphabetic order
by some unsparing lexicographer.
Forever at a loss, I now refer
to brave objections that I should have made,
to simple kindnesses never extended,
conclusions left obscenely open-ended,
heart-rending breaks faint-heartedly delayed.
The supplements arrive, set after set —
perpetual addenda of regret.
First published in Raritan. Photo credit: Jennifer Croft.
Go to Source
Author: The Best American Poetry
