Dear Bella Levenshteyn
As I continue going through my basement piles and stacks
I came across the following
Which fell out of a file I hadn’t looked through
In many years
Seems even back in the dark years
Of the second Regan Administration
I was doing my part to promote
Writing practice and camaraderie
Thanks for being my archivist
Shimmelstoy
Even though we haven’t rendezvoused
At some clever uptown cafe
(or perhaps sleazy downtown bar)
For several months
To sit and chat and think and write
And emote and confer
I want to tell you how much
These little meetings meant to me
No one has believed in my talents
Considered my worth
Encouraged my work
And found pleasure in my teeth
As much as you
And I hardly know you
And still hardly know you!
How did it happen that this man who introduced me
To the world of theology, Buddhism
And unencumbered writing
Came to mean so much to me?
I’m not sure
Perhaps, as one of my favorite poets once wrote,
Maybe you “sneaked up behind my ear
Wearing sneakers”
You not only came up behind my ear
But you also entered softly
Through the ear canal
And filled my mind with thoughts
Of profound caring
People don’t need to see each other
Everyday for a bond to form–
You are a case in point for me
I can’t tell you
How I feel as you leave town
(As a person who has few ties in this city)
I feel like I’m losing a soul mate
And will sorely miss your proximity
When I miss you most
I’ll read your thoughtful and zany pages…
And remember
Daisy Mayorga
— –from novel now in progress, Our Heroic and Ceaseless 24/7 Struggle against Tsuris
