the need to destroy. he ran
under the piano like a mouse.
while the dagger was handy nothing
could keep me from breaking
through the shell of her body.
i did not weep or kill myself.
only seeing her in the coffin
could make me understand. the flowers
grew out of her breasts like bloodstains.
how often in russia we say, "forgive me,"
when we only mean, "good-bye".'
/ excerpt from "the kreutzer sonata" by ira sadoff
from the book "open places" #31&32, stephens college fall 1981
