"The Last Inch" by Alessio Zanelli

The Last Inch

Alessio Zanelli 

"Full & Empty" Ink and Watercolor on Paper
By J. Artemus Gordon

You sipped the last inch coolly—                                               

glass-refracted rays into your eyes,

whispered words between your lips.

I neither knew nor imagined

it would all run dark

well before the setting of the sun

below the sharp contour of reachless hills.                   

The place, the sky, your face.

It did the very moment

you put down your empty flute                                     

by the pristine tableware,

turning away your stare,                                                  

a desert in your heart.

Mine was still full to the brim.

Poet’s Notes:  Breaking up has always a peculiar taste, at times bittersweet. The poem refers to an old relationship of mine which actually ended while sipping a glass of fizz, even though I have embellished the tale a bit.  It was a strange moment; we both knew it had long been brewing. Despite the unpleasant associations, I still like fizz. A lot.

Editor’s Note:  Ah, desert instead of dessert.  Alessio captures the moment well here.  The mood is haunting, and, even though the topic is an old one, the presentation is fresh.