Donal Andrew Gordon

Upon Telemachus's delivery of the envelope to Penelope,
which envelope's delivery to Penelope would stir in her
a world of reminiscence and lost time,
no sooner had it slipped out of the fingers of Telemachus,
no sooner been received among the fingers of Penelope,
than studiedly she rose from loom and, face averting,
studiedly to window, barefoot, paced.
And listened for his step on stair descending
— saw from sill the sea and rock and seaway
(step on stair and sea and rock and seaway) —
listened for the door-latch backward settling,
and broke oh broke the seal.