Most importantly
I won.
Beat him at his game.
And what a game
played over
a long hot summer
via phone,
the tickles and silences,
bathroom calls,
high stakes from
a high roller, and
I, just a tiny woman
in his scheme of things
his worldly schemes.
There were clues
along the way.
I am a genius at
picking up clues
in a voice, certain
inflections.
His final revelation: I ran
up three flights of stairs
in this lousy hot airport
to take your call.
Susan Tepper is the author of nine published books of fiction and poetry. Her most recent titles are CONFESS (poetry published by Cervena Barva Press, 2020) and the road novel WHAT DRIVES MEN (Wilderness House Press, 2019). Tepper has received many honors and awards. She’s a native ) New Yorker. www.susantepper.com
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