Richard Luftig’s most recent poem to appear here was Draught River.

second language
By Richard Luftig

in his imagined romance
language, she speaks
no then or if
but only now. he loves
to watch her lips

as much as hear
her voice, and wonders
how vowels can be
so clear and long
when speaking
such uncertainties.

he yearns to answer
as best he can but knows
his tongue can never
express the secret
loss that will occur
when she is gone.