by Robert Kelly Once when I read the funnies I took my little magnifying glass and looked too close. Forms became colors and colors were just arrays of dots and between the dots I saw the rough bleak storyless legend of the pulp paper empty as the winter moon and I dreaded it. I had […]
by Grace Paley I was going to write a poem I made a pie insteadit took about the same amount of time of course the pie was a final drafta poem would have some distance to godays and weeks and much crumpled paper the pie already had a talking tumbling audience among small trucks and […]
by Grace Paley One day I decided to not grow any older lots of luck I said to myself (my joking self) then I looked up at the sky which is wide its bluenessits whiteness low on my leftthe steamy sun rosemoved I placed my hand against it my whole hand which is broad from pinky to thumbnomy […]
by David Wojahn Under the trellised arbor, and our supper’s over in the memory I’ve found myself inside. L not speaking, and beside us the river sliding softly by. Now the light will fade to moonlit water. And in memory I work to make this lingering accurate and sweet. White ouzo and […]
By Li-Young Lee From blossoms comes this brown paper bag of peaches we bought from the boy at the bend in the road where we turned toward signs painted Peaches. From laden boughs, from hands, from sweet fellowship in the bins, comes nectar at the roadside, succulent peaches we devour, dusty skin and all, comes […]
by Thulani Davis as i fly over this time rising over only this so much painted suffering unseen grimaces and stares among spruce greens these few forests left all of us trying to be alone quiet and blind. * i see soldiers in bus stations with colored names polaroid shots their girlfriends chew gum […]
by W. S. Merwin Listen with the night falling we are saying thank you we are stopping on the bridges to bow from the railings we are running out of the glass rooms with our mouths full of food to look at the sky and say thank you we are standing by the water thanking […]
by Thulani Davis as i fly over this time rising over only this so much painted suffering unseen grimaces and stares among spruce greens these few forests left all of us trying to be alone quiet and blind. * i see soldiers in bus stations with colored names polaroid shots their girlfriends chew gum […]
by James Broughton Shake out your qualms. Shake up your dreams. Deepen your roots. Extend your branches. Trust deep water and head for the open, even if your vision shipwrecks you. Quit your addiction to sneer and complain. Open a lookout. Dance on a brink. Run with your wildfire. You are closer to glory leaping […]
by Kevin Young To allow silence To admit it in us always moving Just past senses, the darkness What swallows us and we live amongst What lives amongst us * These grim anchors That brief sanctity the sea Cast quite far when you seek —in your hats black and kerchiefs— to bury me * Do […]