Double Talking Pantoum

by Kate Hovey

A mistake. Not mine.
That’s nothing—you see?
Every pocket’s turned out
empty, picked clean.
 
That’s nothing. You see
what you want, every time.
Empty, picked clean,
put through your wringer—
 
what you want every time,
no question. No answer
put through your wringer
ever satisfied you.
 
No question, no answer;
it all depends what is is.
Ever satisfied? You?
Not what you think,
 
it all depends. What is, is
every pocket’s turned out.
This is not what you think—
your mistake, not mine.


Copyright 2015, Kate Hovey

Kate Hovey is the author of three award-winning books of poetry for young readers: Arachne Speaks, Ancient Voices and Voices of the Trojan War, published by Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon and Schuster. A contributor to Mythology and Modern Women Poets: Analysis, Reflection and Teaching (forthcoming from McFarland), her work has appeared most recently in PoemMemoirStory, subTerrain, So To Speak, The River Styx and The Lyric Moment, an anthology published by Tebot Bach.


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