D5 Poem by RIC BASTASA

evading a yes or no
answer
is enough to invoke
the 5th amendment
and to questions
which are as personal
as undressing before
the mirror
and refocusing on
the scar on the
left side of the
navel just below
the edge of the
heart
and caressing it
for a while
massaging it and
covering it again
with the warmth of your
palms
is just enough
for another day's
humor.

well, let us keep
the silence
after all, it is
precious.