The Painting

The stream runs clear to its stones;
the fish swim in sharp outline.
Girl, turn your face for me to draw.
Tomorrow, if we should drift apart,
I shall find you by this picture.

Credit

Author

John Balaban

John Balaban is the author of thirteen books of poetry and prose, including Empires (Copper Canyon Press, 2019); Path, Crooked Path (Copper Canyon Press, 2006); Locusts at the Edge of Summer: New and Selected Poems (Copper Canyon Press, 1997), winner of the William Carlos Williams Award; and Words for My Daughter (Copper Canyon Press, 1991), winner of the National Poetry Series. He is also the author of the hybrid collection Passing through a Gate: Poems, Essays, and Translations (Copper Canyon Press, 2024).

Date Published

01/01/2003