<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div><span></span></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; ">Talking to Grief</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 22px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; ">Ah, Grief, I should not treat you</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; ">like a homeless dog</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; ">who comes to the back door</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; ">for a crust, for a meatless bone.</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 19px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; ">I should trust you.</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; ">I should coax you</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; ">into the house and give you</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; ">your own corner,</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; ">a worn mat to lie on,</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; ">your own water dish.</span></font></div><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; ">You think I don't know you've been living</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; ">under my porch.</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; ">You long for your real place to be readied</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; ">before winter comes. You need</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; ">your name,</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; ">your collar and tag. You need</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; ">the right to warn off intruders,</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; ">to consider</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; ">my house your own</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; ">and me your person</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; ">and yourself</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; ">my own dog.</span></font></div><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>- Denise Levertov</span></font></div></div></body></html>