Poetry, a constant reminder. Yes, with poetry I remember, with my body, I ‘m a damn good, deep feeler, wild questioner (“Is this cement or concrete?”), queer desirer. Respair, a rare, 16th-century word meaning ‘fresh hope’, defines this recovery from despair. Poetry and respair, pile ups of quiet, gradual moments, reflecting back a very difficult period ending for me. With poetry and respair, the trusting of the mystery and the re-defining of images, I begin to breathe again and look toward the future with a rebuilt pleasure palace, a newly written poem.