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The Riddle of Amherst
by Michael Escoubas
I would give all my treasure
to have known you back then–
your picture–
which has you dressed in black–
I would ask, “Why black?”
and “Why the suppression of a smile?”
Your hair parted middle down,
your pearl face–a perfect oval–
the lace ribbon that adorns your neck,
your instinct for symmetry? I wonder …
The slightest breast protrusions
only adds to the mystery of you–
a sort of built-in shroud
left for the faithful to figure out.
You are famous for saying,
“Tell all the truth but tell it slant”–
so it is, even in your portrait.
I love you even more–
for the depth of human insight,
in each line, slanted truth,–
still true today, set apart,
like you, by em dashes–
the Riddle of Amherst–
a mystery I dare not solve.
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