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To Robert Hayden

By Eduardo C. Corral Read the Q & A

Less lonely, less . . .

I gave you

a tiny box.

You lifted the lid,

praised

the usefulness

of my gift:

a silver pin shaped

like an amper-

sand. As you fastened it

to your lapel,

I thought again of

that motel

outside of Chicago.

¿Te acuerdas?

I sat on the edge

of a bench,

untied my shoes.

Face down, eyes shut,

you breathed in

the aroma

of sweat & allspice

coming off

the sheets. I tossed

my ring—gold,

inscribed—toward a pile

of clothes.

But the ring

dropped in the small

of your back

where it rattled

& rattled like a coin

in a beggar’s

cup.

Source: Poetry (December 2011).

Biography

Eduardo C. Corral earned degrees from Arizona State University and the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop. His debut collection of poetry, Slow Lightning (2012), won the Yale Younger Poets Prize, making him the first Latino recipient of the award. Praised for his seamless blending of English and Spanish, tender treatment of history, and careful exploration of sexuality, Corral has received numerous honors and awards, including . . .

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