THE ENCOUNTER By Michael Minassian

A woman sits next to me

at the bar, and glances

at my pint of ale.

I hear her say, the same, 

then I turn to her

to say good choice.

But she points to the clock,

you have 30 seconds to recognize me.

Running through several scenarios

from my past, I wonder 

if I slept with her,

or brushed up against her poetry.

One-night stands less embarrassing

than workshop frictions,

collaborative writing,

or open readings.

When I glance in the mirror,

the woman is gone,

her empty glass on the bar.

I never find out who she is.

My past crowded with characters

in the topography of memory,

uncertain landscapes

that belong to someone else.

MICHAEL MINASSIAN is a Contributing Editor for Verse-Virtual, an online poetry journal. His poetry collections Time is Not a River, Morning Calm, A Matter of Timing and Jack Pays a Visit, are all available on Amazon. His collection 1000 Pieces of Time was released October, 2025 by Sheila-Na-Gig, Inc. For more information: https://michaelminassian.com