
Notes taken 53 years ago
From a lecture, no doubt
Where my head droops slightly
Under the weight of fatigue,
Letters trail off,
Shrinking under the strain
Of staying awake
But not alert,
Capturing recognizable words
Too slowly to hear what follows,
The thought, the idea
Of what I have to gain from being there,
Unable to remember what I did
Beforehand,
Or when I walked out with others,
Complete strangers, shadows actually.
Years have passed without clarity
On what that morning was all about,
But I have the notes.