From “Listen to the Golden Boomerang Return”

            our first lightning
strike was convulsive
         we felt sad for our
       violence after
      exterminating
      wolves and bison
      we do not need a
       doctor to say
        dance dance
         dance before
           the song
             runs out
               learn how
               to live so
              wilderness
             never
            becomes
          mythology
        we put them
      in parks to be
    wild on purpose
  a museum of fur
fangs and hooves

Credit

About this Poem

“My poems are wild creatures standing on the bottom of the page, vibrating in the center of their bodies, and this one is from 72 new poems I began in Seattle during the Covid lockdown. I shared my meals with the crows by the window. One of them, in particular, liked to eat with me. I could hand it food and was eventually allowed to pet its beak. Soon enough, the crow started bringing me gifts: twigs, plastic bits, dried cat food, and a piece of gold foil. This experience was one of my favorite connections with a wild animal. This poem is from my forthcoming book, Listen to the Golden Boomerang Return (Wave Books, 2024).”
—CAConrad

Author

CAConrad

Born on January 1, 1966, in Topeka, Kansas, CAConrad is the author of numerous collections of poetry, including Listen to the Golden Boomerang Return (Wave Books, 2024), You Don’t Have What It Takes to Be My Nemesis (Penguin UK, 2023), Amanda Paradise: Resurrect Extinct Vibration (Wave Books, 2021); While Standing in Line for Death (Wave Books, 2017); Ecodeviance: (Soma)tics for the Future Wilderness (Wave Books, 2014); Philip Seymour Hoffman (were you high when you said this?) (Worms Press, 2014); A Beautiful Marsupial Afternoon: New (Soma)tics (Wave Books, 2012); and The Book of Frank (Wave Books, 2010), recipient of the Gil Ott Book Award. They also authored a book of nonfiction essays, Advanced Elvis Course (Soft Skull Press, 2009).

Date Published

05/29/2023