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On Saturday morning,
at the conference in Ligonier,
the poet from Altoona said,
“Poems are never finished, only
abandoned, according to Auden.”

Later, after lunch,
the poet from Shadyside said,
“T.S. Eliot said, poems are never
really finished, but just abandoned.”

On Tuesday night,
in the varnished back room
at Hemingway’s,
the man said “Valery,”
and then it was settled.

— Michael Albright

Michael Albright has published poems in various journals, including Tar River Poetry, A Narrow Fellow, Pembroke Magazine, Cider Press Review, Revolver, Moon City Review, Blast Furnace, Uppagus and others. He lives near Greensburg. Many writers featured in Chapter & Verse are guests of Prosody, produced by Jan Beatty and Ellen Wadey. Prosody airs every Saturday morning on 90.5 FM.