Earlobes

I’ve promised to pay more attention to earlobes,
those swan–soft tabs, the only part of us
that remains infant always.

Will you join me? Will you loop your earrings
from their holes, will you tie up your hair

and taking yourself solemnly by the ear,
swear never to forget that two small parts of you
will never harden to a walnut’s wrinkle,

but will always give way to the thumb’s curious strum,
a lover’s wandering lips.

Back to Issue Four