Sawdust

Why not lindendust,
   hackberry, hemlock,
live oak, maple, why
   name the remains
after the blade, not
   what it cut—

only now do I see
   that the air is full
of small sharp stars
   pinwheeling through
every living thing
   that gets in their way.

Credit

Author

Sharon Bryan

Sharon Bryan was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. She holds a BA from the University of Utah, an MA from Cornell University, and an MFA from the University of Iowa. Bryan is the author of four poetry collections, most recently Sharp Stars (BOA Editions, 2009), winner of the Isabella Stewart Gardener Poetry Award. She has been awarded two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, and lives in Seattle, Washington.

Date Published

01/01/2009