to write every night in the dark blue book of grief

To write every night in the dark blue 

book of grief. To write every. 

Night. To write night, 

its letters edged with half the shades 

 

of dark blue in the blue 

black span 

of the milky spine 

of the galaxy: 

 

                        is this 

the thought 

the slick roads stipulate 

at dusk when the clock skids back 

 

and the sleet slides open 

its clattering veils 

and there is the sudden 

dark blue 

 

book of shining? 

 

[Sandra Gilbert {1936- } "14. Dark Blue", from Kissing the Bread]