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By George Bilgere b. 1951 George Bilgere

When I came to my mother’s house

the day after she had died

it was already a museum of her

unfinished gestures. The mysteries

from the public library, due

in two weeks. The half-eaten square

of lasagna in the fridge.

The half-burned wreckage

of her last cigarette,

and one red swallow

of wine in a lipsticked

glass beside her chair.

Finally, a blue Bic

on a couple of downs

and acrosses left blank

in the Sunday crossword,

which actually had the audacity

to look a little smug

at having, for once, won.

Biography

George Bilgere (1951—) has published five collections of poetry, most recently The White Museum which was awarded the 2009 Autumn House Poetry Prize. His third book, The Good Kiss (2002), was selected by Billy Collins to win the University of Akron Poetry Award. He has won numerous awards, including the Midland Authors Award, the May Swenson Poetry Award for his collection Haywire (2006), and a Pushcart Prize. Bilgere has . . .

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