12 Short Poems Michael Gottlieb EARLY AND LATE an abandonment so complete a dishonored place holder deposited upon the verge early and late, the makings of a cold repast, playing the traditional allies, initially offering the weaker, dense with declinations a tantalus of justification. As if we were ruled by this new star ­ one that excused almost all the prevailing, the recent testing, showing the features to best effect, setting a limb, an unearthed figurine, the conventional knock on him, what by degrees we learned whiling, standing-to, wear-ever, as if one needed any more evidence a kind of fair copy of this world I wanted to say thank you before it is too late         next