told me ... that my eyes were bright as sapphires

Diamonds are forever so I gave you quartz 

which is #7 on the hardness scale 

and it’s hard enough to get to know anybody these days 

if only to scratch the surface 

and quartz will scratch six other mineral surfaces: 

it will scratch glass 

it will scratch gold 

it will even 

scratch your eyes out one morning—you can’t be 

too careful. 

Diamonds are industrial so I bought 

a ring of topaz 

which is #8 on the hardness scale. 

I wear it on my right hand, the way it was 

supposed to be, right? No tears and fewer regrets 

for reasons smooth and clear as glass. Topaz will scratch glass, 

it will scratch your quartz, 

and all your radio crystals. You’ll have to be silent 

the rest of your days 

not to mention your nights. Not to mention 

the night you ran away very drunk very 

very drunk and you tried to cross the border 

but couldn’t make it across the lake. 

Stirring up geysers with the oars you drove the red canoe 

in circles, tried to pole it but 

your left hand didn’t know 

what the right hand was doing. 

You fell asleep 

and let everyone know it when you woke up. 

In a gin-soaked morning (hair of the dog) you went 

hunting for geese, 

shot three lake trout in violation of the game laws, 

told me to clean them and that 

my eyes were bright as sapphires 

which is #9 on the hardness scale. 

A sapphire will cut a pearl 

it will cut stainless steel 

it will cut vinyl and mylar and will probably 

cut a record this fall 

to be released on an obscure label known only to aficionados. 

I will buy a copy. 

I may buy you a copy 

depending on how your tastes have changed. 

I will buy copies for my friends 

we’ll get a new needle, 

a diamond needle,
which is #10 on the hardness scale 

and will cut anything. 

It will cut wood and mortar, 

plaster and iron, 

it will cut the sapphires in my eyes and I will bleed 

blind as 4 A.M. in the subways when even degenerates 

are dreaming, blind as the time 

you shot up the room with a new hunting rifle 

blind drunk 

as you were. 

You were #11 on the hardness scale 

later that night 

apologetic as 

you worked your way up 

slowly from the knees 

and you worked your way down 

from the open-throated blouse. 

Diamonds are forever so I give you softer things. 

 

[Joyce Peseroff {1948- } 'The Hardness Scale', from Dark Horses: Poets on Overlooked Poems]