Daisy Bassen
Whither thou goest
for Ruth
You are at the Opera House.
It is gold and crimson. The soprano
Hits the highest notes. Easily. They ring
Like a struck bell, like the shofar crying
For the New Year, for the silence
That comes with a mouthful of honey.
You are at the Opera House with your love.
He holds your hand in his again.
We can be at peace in a small way
Because the aria makes you smile.
Brava. Bravissima.
We understand, tzaddeket, that encores
Are left to us.
About the writer:
Daisy Bassen is a poet and practicing physician who graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University’s Creative Writing Program and completed medical training at The University of Rochester and Brown. Bassen’s work has been published in Oberon, McSweeney’s, The Sow’s Ear, and [PANK] as well as in other journals. She lives in Rhode Island with her family.
Image: Al Quartiere Latino Bozzetto (A Paris Street) by Adolf Hohenstein (1854-1928). and restored by Adam Cuerden. India ink and tempera on paper. Set design for Act II of La Boheme at the world premiere performance in the Teatro Regio in Torino, Italy. No size specified. 1896. By free license.
