Monday, June 11, 2012

Erosion of Memory: Shall We Gather at the River?


Could this filthy thread of a rivulet be the river where 

Full-bodied village women gathered each spring 
To wash their hand-loomed rugs

Or is it just another corporate 
Fabrication run loose? 


Saturday, June 9, 2012

The Ultimate Writing Workshop Poem

“. . .and suddenly everything became clear to him.” 


Ok, let’s stand back a bit and look 
At this fragment of a sentence 
From a distance—it comes to us 
From a story by Chekhov; 

Raymond Carver mentions it 
In one of his essays on writing 
But does not tell us its name 
Or what it is about; it could be 

About anything, that much is clear— 
So what say we leave it at that, 
Fast forward instead and imagine 
This sentence as your epitaph. 


Thursday, June 7, 2012

Remembrance


re the mourning doves 
throwing their voices 
from somewhere close 

behind me Lorine’s 
memorable you- 
ah-you calling 

your absence obliquely. 


Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Anonymous Papyrus Fragment, Ancient Messene, Date Unknown but Later Than You Think


Fields we had
[        ]
[        ]

[perforated]

[ now?]
[        ]
[        ]
[        ]

[shredded wheat]

Ely[sian?] with honey
[        ]
[        ]
[        ]
[        ]

Bees combing long
[        ] [flaxen?]       

Hair [       ]

[         ]
[         ]
[         ]
[down?]

To your knees      

[the rest wholly eaten away by moths]








Monday, June 4, 2012

Hammock


I don’t know 
If it’s the night 
Wind that sways 

Me or the pines— 
Either way, 
I don’t care. 


Saturday, June 2, 2012

Squeeze Play at the Bottom of the Ninth


Oh Doc if only 

I had the strength to show 
The uniformly moved 
There’s not enough power left 
In these sinews 

To delight them, 
Would they settle 
For my laying down 
A perfect bunt? 


Friday, June 1, 2012

Wild Cyclamen Mode


Heads up though 
Seeing such impossible 

Flowers spring up everywhere 
May not always tend 

To elate one 
Let alone 

Make one feel as they say 
In the pink but oh 

Such mixed blessings 
Should they not 

Then give one pause 
To think? 


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