When he crouched with an eye

to the peephole

hoping for a glimpse

of his neighbor,

who, he was convinced

was beautiful

(“Well, she has a beautiful

voice,” he explained,

“though I’ve yet to actually

see her”)

I couldn’t help

but wonder

whether I saw the captain

of a submarine,

squinting though the waves

for the enemy,

or, rather, an astronomer

wishing a stray comet

might swim by,

so that he could give it his name.

Troy Jollimore

Troy Jollimore is the author of four books of poetry and three books of philosophy. In 2006, he won the National Book Critics Circle award in poetry. His fourth book of poems, and most recent, is Earthly Delights.