Ana
(c) 2010 Matthew Dean Shaffer

I wonder if you'd be surprised at what I write here.
You could look, but I'll show you, so why bother?

It took me another week just to find her.
Not so easy when I'm standing beside her
In a dark room but lucky I brought my lighter.
She said 'Do you mind sharing?' when she noticed that I saw her.
Said 'Not at all. But I need this 'cause I'm a writer.'

'I wrote long lines of what once constituted prose,
But it all broke up when the ink got in the cracks of my story and then froze.
I never bothered to pick up all the pieces of the lines, all the rymes and all the reasons,
when the letters washed down, when they thawed at your presence,
as my heart knew you were there.'

'I need this lighter so I can see all the letters on the ground,
That formed a puddle at the presence of your sound,
So I can pick them up and dry them off and press them back down.'

It'll take another day just to finish what I'm writing.
Not so easy 'cause you're standing right beside me.
The lights are back on so I can see you much better.
I wonder if you'll be surprised at what I write here.
You could look as I scribble down each letter.
You could look, but I'll show you, so why bother?

You could look as I scribble down each letter.
You could look, but I'll show you, so why bother?
I could search to find all the reasons why you left me.
It's not so easy when I'm standing beside her.