Dream of a Poetry of Defense (audio only)
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I saw a yellow butterfly
flying
in my opinion
the wrong way, flying across
the sound
to Connecticut
I saw a cormorant
oily-looking
flying
close to the sea’s surface
precisely
as I floated on it on
my back in
the attitude of the crucifixion
minerals in my body
in
conversation with
the minerals of the sea
about the sun
how can I possibly
add
to what’s already been said
so well
by the ancients
The long night reminds me that so much of what it means
to be a person shines through obscurity, like odd condiments
bought on impulse, tested once, then pushed to the back
of the refrigerator in their smartly labeled bottles and jars.
Click the icon above to listen to this audio poem.