❨

One Art - Elizabeth Bishop (1976) ✦✦

The
        a
          r
            t
of     l   o   s   i   n   g     isn’t
                                                          h
                                                              a
                                                                 r
                                                                    d
to

master

so many things seem filled with the intent to be lost that their loss is no disaster.




































































































































































































































Lose something                                                                                                      every day.
Accept the fluster of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.
The
        a
          r
            t
of     l   o   s   i   n   g     isn’t
                                                          h
                                                              a
                                                                 r
                                                                    d
to master.




































































































































































































































Then practice

losing farther,

losing faster:

places, and names, and where it was you meant to travel.

None of these will bring disaster.





































































































































































































































I lost my mother’s watch.
And look! my last, or next-to-last, of three loved houses went.
The

        a
          r
            t
of     l   o   s   i   n   g     isn’t
                                                          h
                                                              a
                                                                 r
                                                                    d
to master.





































































































































































































































I lost two cities, lovely ones.
And,

vaster,

some realms I owned,

two rivers,                                                               a continent.
I miss them, but it wasn’t a disaster.





































































































































































































































—Even losing you
                                              (the joking voice, a gesture I love)
I shan’t have lied.

It’s evident the
        a
          r
            t
of     l   o   s   i   n   g     isn’t
                                                          h
                                                              a
                                                                 r
                                                                    d
to master.

though it may look like
(Write it!)
like disaster.