THE AMULET

	By Lusine Haroyan
 

	I go down the stairs.
	 The staccato of my high heel shoes 
	 Echoes in the lobby of your office.
	 It's raining outside.
	 I turn over and notice your profile
	 Behind the Venetian blinds. 
	 You are not smiling.
	 The silence of separation
	is stretching between us.
	 The amulet- 
	 You gave to me last summer.
	 I was in my blue dress...
	Your fiery look was sliding down
	my bare shoulders. 
	 I will never be back 
	(I feel it in my bones).
	 I squeeze the macramé in my hand
	making efforts to forget you,
	  In vain...
	 I brush your name on the emptiness
	of my coming days.                 

--
Lusine Haroyan was born in Ararat, Armenia. As an exchange student,
she studied in the faculty of Political Science at Bemidji State
University, Minnesota. She graduated from the Brussov State Linguistic
University in Yerevan, Armenia.
Lusine has published two books of poetry `Let the Flowers Bloom,' 1996
and `The Legend of Stones,' 2000. Her third collection of poetry `A
Drop of Blood on the Slide of a Microscope' will be published soon.
She is the winner of `Avedic Isahakyan Award' in 1998), the `Armenian
Cultural Fund Award' in 1999, the Armenian Allied Arts Association
Award in 2000 and 2002, and the `Best Student Poet Award' (Third
Prize) in 2002.
Lusine's poetry has also been published in a variety of anthologies,
such as `Minnesota Women Writers,' in 2000, `Dust & Fire' Minnesota
Writers Anthology, in 2001, `Best Student Poets in Armenia,' in 2002.
Lusine is currently working at the `Tatev Scientific Educational
Complex' in Yerevan, Armenia, and in September she will be leaving for
Budapest, Hungary, to study for her Master's Degree at Central
European University (faculty of International Relations). She can be
reached at lharoyan@yahoo.com