A Happy Birthday

by manuel margarido

(ao Joaquim. Mais nove meses que ‘estar vivo’ me acompanhas)

A Happy Birthday

This evening, I sat by an open window

and read till the light was gone and the book

was no more than a part of the darkness.

I could easily have switched on a lamp,

but I wanted to ride this day down into night,

to sit alone and smooth the unreadable page

with the pale gray ghost of my hand.

Ted Kooser, in Delights and Shadows. Copyright © 2004.

'Twins', John Mitchell (fractal art)