Perspective

Three does stood at the edge of the road.
Can Beauty draw breath? They were like lovers' sighs
(If lovers' sighs were visible and stock-still
In air as transparent as lovers' lies).

November blue pressed down
On their frightened, alerted heads;
The earth pushed up to meet their hooves.
Three watchful does were the point where perspective leads,

The vanishing point,
And then they vanished, like breath—
Blown, like alibis—
And that is all of Beauty's Truth.

Copyright © 2002 Kelly Cherry All rights reserved
from Rising Venus
Louisiana State University Press
Reprinted by Verse Daily®
by permission of Louisiana State University Press
from Rising Venus by Kelly Cherry.
Copyright © 2002 by Kelly Cherry.