Issue Twenty-Three - Winter 2014

The History of Fog

By Charles O’Hay

When his mirror broke, he replaced it
with a book: ‘The History of Fog’
and stood in the cold March surf
of his imagination, hoping to drown

from the ankles up. Years earlier
a lover had told him, “If I leave you,
you’ll never find anyone else.”
Eventually he left her, as a man

gone off to drown might leave his coat
on a beach. He knows he could
stay here, building halos for the cold
sun, but somewhere a hall of mirrors

is whispering his name.

Copyright 2014 O’Hay

Charles O'Hay is the author of two poetry collections— Far from Luck (2011) and Smoking in Elevators (2014) -- both from Lucky Bat Books. His work has appeared in over 125 literary publications including Gargoyle, New York Quarterly, and Cortland Review. He lives in Philadelphia.

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