Poetry Fix: What We Miss

What We Miss
by Sarah Manguso

Who says it’s so easy to save a life? In the mid­dle of an inter­view for
the job you might get you see the cat from the win­dow of the seven-
teenth floor just as he’s cross­ing the street against traf­fic, just as
you’re answer­ing a ques­tion about your worst char­ac­ter flaw and lying
that you are too care­ful. What if you keep see­ing the cat at every
moment you are unable to save him? Fail­ure is more like this than like
duels and marathons. Every­thing can be saved, and bad tim­ing pre-
vents it. Every minute, you are answer­ing the ques­tion and looking
out the win­dow of the church to see your one great love blind­ed by
the glare, cross­ing the street, alone.

(From The Cap­tain Lands in Par­adise)

Cyn is Rick's wife, Katie's Mom, and Esther & Oliver's Mémé. She's also a professional geek, avid reader, fledgling coder, enthusiastic gamer (TTRPGs), occasional singer, and devoted stitcher.
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