Mary Jo Salter

IMPLICITLY 

 

"Isn't it funny," said Hilary,

if you take away

the first and last letters

of 'simplicity,'

you get 'implicit'?"

 

I was astonished--

she'd knocked me flat.

Why had I never

thought of that? 

 

"Funny, yes," 

I said, "how 'implicit'

implies something's folded in.

One thought's been folded

into another."

 

"Of course," she said simply. 

 

I'd been acting like a mother.

Pretending I knew

when I didn't know. 

I'd folded my arms

and raised one brow. 

I was saying it in a voice that was flat,

as if I'd always

looked down from on high,

had always already thought of that. 

 

 

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