Old and New and Newest

The Book of Common Prayer –
the most moving gift received in a long time –
lies (having been used a handful of times, first in duet, now alone)
on top of the pressed-paper journal,
meant to keep me honest with my group of Helpful People,
which sits on the poetry notebook this List Your Things idea comes from,
and this in turn is atop e. e. cummings,
full of words which somehow (almost) say my meaning,
but under it all,
white
German
lace,
which covers the new, smooth, light wood brightness of the night table,
which sits on the old (again) German floor-runner
on the new (again) wooden-bright floor of the apartment
which sits, waiting, each year for American guests
who nevertheless feel at home,
yet strange,
living here in this Wohnung,
one floor above Oma Hanni’s house,
because though it should be empty,
it
is
not.