My twisted alibi, the silent who
and almighty why

or misplaced where. Or what
as in what went wrong

and when. What is not
turned sideways or backwards?

A lifeless rut, a knot,
in my most likely never

and all for naught,
not knowing if I aced the test.

Notwithstanding,
it kneels to reason

if not is the godless spot
of who I am. I forgot.

Copyright © 2021 by Arthur Solway. Originally published in Poem-a-Day on December 13, 2021, by the Academy of American Poets.