Nobody saw us tiptoe in
except shoes on the second-floor
landing, a dozen pairs
reproachful but mute as we climbed the stairs
—panting a little, no longer young enough
to run, though you carried my bag
lightly—whispering under the hum
of a dozen Buddhists chanting.
In the comfort you created
from this vast industrial space
and with a brief prayer for its lawful
mistress, I hesitated
before I took off my clothes, but
only for a moment.
Jacqueline Lapidus grew up in New York City and lived abroad for more than 20 years, first in Greece, then in France where she was active in international feminist groups. A lifelong editor, teacher, and translator now based in Boston, she was a consulting editor for Our Bodies, Ourselves and currently edits a French-language Web site for Oxfam America. She holds degrees from Swarthmore College and Harvard Divinity School. Her poems have appeared in numerous periodicals and anthologies and in three collections: Ready to Survive, Starting Over, and Ultimate Conspiracy.
