by Jim Tilley
I’ve been thinking of you,
and I’ve been thinking about
graphs, those mathematical
objects composed of lines
joining one point to the next.
You’ve been showing me
points in your life connected
to other points, happenings
that, taken together, define
who you are, as if you could
possibly be defined at all—
I realize you’re so much more
than points and lines. With
my index finger, I draw a line
from A to B along your body,
knowing where that will lead—
my flesh touching your flesh,
healing each other’s wounds.
Jim Tilley has published three full-length collections of poetry and a novel with Red Hen Press. His short memoir, The Elegant Solution, was published as a Ploughshares Solo. His poem, On the Art of Patience, was selected by Billy Collins to win Sycamore Review’s Wabash Prize for Poetry. Four of his poems have been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. His next poetry collection, Ripples in the Fabric of the Universe: New & Selected Poems, will be published in June 2024.