Sea and Room Poem


She pushed a hair from her face and stared out
	over the bluegreen sea
In her pocket she held a letter
	on heavy paper the color of cream
		folded three times.

Her love stayed up through the night
		drinking and laughing and singing
		in a small dark hot room 
		that smelled of sweat and sex and paints
		talking of wine and lust and philosophy
		of prostitutes and professors and painters
		of books and smoking and games of chance
		on a desk sat a letter, under a candle
		that had been burned down to a nub.

				--Kirk Israel