Closure

Ann Rae Jonas

A doctor makes a small
incision—a mere hyphen—in the crease of an upper lid
pinned open by paralysisand inserts, like a tiny
letter in a tiny mail slot,a narrow bar of gold,allowing the lid
to close with gravity.A faint shape visible
on the eyelidbetrays the precious metal
embedded below.Blocked from light,
it has no luster—like a wedding band
stowed in a drawer.

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Ann Rae Jonas is a poet and science writer. Her book of poems A Diamond Is Hard But Not Tough won Word Works’ 1997 Washington Prize.

The Threepenny Review

Summer 2018

Berkeley, California

Editor and Publisher
Wendy Lesser

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