Poem with Keyhole I cannot measure how l<strong>on</strong>g I kept my eye pressed <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> keyhole outside <strong>the</strong> room of God’s compassi<strong>on</strong>, even after I realized I had never <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g>uched <strong>the</strong> knob, had <strong>on</strong>ly assumed <strong>the</strong> door would be locked. 48
Acknowledgments Though I started writing <strong>the</strong> poems that appear here two years ago, <str<strong>on</strong>g>Bounty</str<strong>on</strong>g> was a project twenty-<strong>on</strong>e years in <strong>the</strong> making. More people than I could plausibly name have somehow facilitated my writing of poetry in that time. In respect for <strong>the</strong> attenti<strong>on</strong> of whoever might read this page, I have made an attempt <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> corral my gratitude. But, dazzled as I am before my trove of blessings, this attempt was feeble. Thanks, in somewhat chr<strong>on</strong>ological order, <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> Dad for reading poetry <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> me at bedtime, <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> Mom for reading poetry <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> me in <strong>the</strong> morning, <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> Ruhi for gifting me The Gift, <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> Kaylyn for reading books of poetry cover-<str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g>-cover, for keeping a notebook, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> for telling me <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> keep paper by my bed, <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> Mom <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Dad for reading without startling me with impossible praise, <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> PJ for encouraging me <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> take risks, <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> Melanie Braverman for teaching me <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> for startling me with possible praise, <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> Matan for reading, <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> Matan for writing <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> me, <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> Matan for <strong>the</strong> tip about mugwort, <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> Matan for his unc<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>al faith, <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> Max for reading, <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> Kori for reading, <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> Ash for going <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> readings with me, <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> Becca for reading, <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> Becca for praying with <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> for me, <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> Melanie S. for reading, <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> Melanie S. for her unc<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>al faith, <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> Amy for reading, <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> Amy for praying with <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> for me, <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> Ari for befriending me before I had words, <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> Ruhi for praying with <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> for me, <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> Ruhi for reading, <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> Mom <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Dad for reading, <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> Laura Quinney for reading, <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> Olga for reading, <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> Olga for teaching me, <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> Olga for startling me with possible <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> impossible praise, <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> Olga for her unc<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>al faith, <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> Mom <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Dad for all that is unc<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>al. To <strong>the</strong>se, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> o<strong>the</strong>rs unnamed who have taught me, trusted me, prayed with or for me, loved me, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> listened <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> me: My ink <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> my breath are limited; my gratitude is not. Br<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>eis University, May 2013 49
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