Al Ortolani
Delivering Groceries to the Blind Woman on First Street
She listened
as if sound could tell
how I stacked her cans,
green beans on one shelf,
fruit cocktail on the other,
the drawer
with the can opener
to the right of the sink,
to the left of trust,
dove-tailed between
Jesus and the tea bags.
As a retired school teacher, Al Ortolani lives in an open field without fire drills and faculty meetings.