"The New The" by Richard Garcia

The New The

We run into The at a conference. He is wearing a Harris tweed jacket, a silk T-shirt, and a pair of Levis with expensive holes and tears. But now he wants to be known as The New The. The New The is no longer to be used at the beginning of sentences. Really, he says, that's so yesterday. And not in the middle of a sentence either — use a comma, or an em-dash. Or, The New The says, with a slight gleam of interest, use a white space instead. A beautiful white space, he says, pursing his lips like a connoisseur. The New The will be silent. Silent and invisible, hardly anywhere at all, forever suspended in expectation. We are at a dinner party. My wife is speaking, and everyone is listening. She says, So much depends on The . . . and then she is silent. She is silent for the longest time, and then she leans back in her chair. There are nods of approval.

Richard Garcia

Richard Garcia is the author of the books The Other Odyssey (Dream Horse Press), The Chair (BOA Editions), and Porridge (Press 53). His poems appear in many journals, including The Georgia Review, Poetry, and Ploughshares.

Headshot: Sarah Poe

Photo Credit: Jackson Purcell