Roberta Santlofer
Sounds wake up my silence and I am extricated.
The buzzing and the screeching and the beeping of city
Life no longer hold me to ordinary gripe.
The city’s wheels, turning continuously absurd,
Smashing steel and flesh similarly, I now can laugh at.
I have set the frame around them.
I will hang the picture tomorrow.
The day’s happenings will become a measure of
My aesthetic ability.
I will no longer quibble with your punctuality.
Roberta “Bobby” Santlofer (1943-2020) was a mother of sons, an avid reader, and a poet. A posthumous collection of her poetry is forthcoming. Santlofer’s poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Gargoyle, Philadelphia Stories, Grey Sparrow Review, and elsewhere.