How to Disappear
By Rae Armantrout
1
You had been swinging restlessly
between the appearance of spontaneity
and the appearance of serious thought.
You had been changing lanes
after a glance
in a mirror honest about
its tendency to distort.
What choice did you have?
It was soothing to watch
wisps of smoke
from a nearby chimney
disappearing
one by one.
2
Do you like pulses,
ridges, ripples
stretching into obscurity?
Would you prefer a flicker
to a steady light source?
This one stutters
slightly,
hesitant,
as if it could hold something
in reserve