"AnnaFora
'Innocent' Anna Fora"
was the first thing she said
when Ipassed her in the hall

She called me that night
"This is myMourning Song
I'll sing it to you slowly
from my bedroom overwires"

9 months back in a theater
"You're lookingold"
she whispered.
"Wouldn't be the first time."
Ireplied as I crossed my legs
and she gently kissed my neck.

Now we sitin silence
Dully dragging a razor
from her ankle past her calf
a wake offoam arrowing
from the sides of the blade
I'm sitting on the lid of thetoilet
steadily looking through the window
at her toweledreflection

Stopping, she raises her arm
and kisses the razor to herwrist
her eyes look through my slanted face
in the window

"Thisis my Mourning Song
sing it to me slowly
while I spill onto thetiles
tonight," she whispers

A silence. I turn my head
Her eyesare burning
as silken foam glides down her wrist
"You won't proveanything."
the rising and falling of the towel slows
"We've allbeen there once or twice
by the time we're 15." and I fold myarms
returning my gaze to the window

Now closing my eyes, I againlisten
to the dull sliding of the blade along her calf
then, thesilt-gliding of lips
along my neck and the bathroom
is offeredsilence

II.
In a year she'll change her name to Soliloquy
When sheleaves she'll take the keys and car
a ticket stub and a razor absent from herdresser
cluttered with the perfumes
and glittering rings andbracelets
from high school
glinting coins at the bottom of a well
Shewill also take an address book
two entries in all, the third
torn andthrown from a window

I leave my doors unlocked
and the phone restingin its cradle
In years to come
I'll hear again that silt-whisper
Again,with her chin resting in my clavicle,
I'll hear:
"This is my Mourningsong,
I'll sing it to you slowly
so you'll remember"