“Riding Past the Museum of Natural History” by Ruth Sabath Rosenthal
seeing the steps I first took toward
infidelity — how far I descended.
My lover is history, has been
for some thirty-odd years, yet,
I remember the nervous excitement
still — how unashamed and
unnaturally good I’d felt. How beyond
stupid, thinking I would scale those highs
unscathed — so sure I was just
stepping into my husband’s footprints —
impressions he made long before
I ever thought of venturing
to make hurt go by going
the ways of wayward flesh —
before I knew what I know now:
the crawl space one could carve
in a marriage preserved
for the children’s sake.
____________________
Share your response to this work, in any form, here
RUTH SABATH ROSENTHAL is a New York poet, well published in the U.S. and,
also, internationally. In October 2006, her poem “on yet another birthday” was nominated
for a Pushcart prize. Ruth has authored five books of poetry: “Facing Home” (a chapbook) —
“Facing Home and beyond”– “little, but by no means small” — “Food: Nature vs Nurture”
and “Gone, but Not Easily Forgotten.” The books can be purchased from Amazon.com.
Please feel free to visit Ruth’s website: www.newyorkcitypoet.com and, also, her blogsite:
www.poetrybyruthsabathrosenthal.com
