Invention of Everything Else
Once a man offered me his heart like a glass of water
how to accept or decline?
Sometimes all I speak is doubt
delineated by the double lines
of railway tracks; sometimes
I’m an incomplete bridge, crayon red Xs extending
across a world map.
A man offers me his bed like an emergency
exit, a forklift, a raft.
The easy-to-read instructions
sequestered in the arms of his leather jacket.
Sometimes a woman needs
small habits, homegrown salad, good sex.
Instead, she cultivates cats and a cupcake maker,
attempts enlightenment— prays to leaf skeletons on her deck.
The woman and the man say yes –
say no, say maybe, perhaps.
Neither one knows what they will do
to the other.
Perhaps they’re acorns falling
on the roof, a Sunday paper, this all-embracing
ocean view.
Once a man offered me his fortune
in drumbeats and song
tuned to some interior window; something buried in blue.
-Susan Rich, first published in Cura Journal
Susan Rich blogs at The Alchemist's Kitchen, where she is hosting the Big Poetry Giveaway this year - one of many projects which celebrate National Poetry Month in the USA. Over fifty bloggers are participating in the giveaway. Leaving a comment on any of their giveaway posts will put you in the draw to win a poetry book, mailed free to anywhere in the world.
Susan is offering a copy each of two of her books, The Alchemist's Kitchen and Cures Include Travel along with one from another poet in her giveaway post here.
Susan Rich is the author of four books of poetry, including Cloud Pharmacy and The Alchemist’s Kitchen, and co-editor of The Strangest of Theatres: Poets Writing Across Borders. A recipient of awards from the Times Literary Supplement and Fulbright Foundation, she teaches at Highline Community College (Seattle). Besides her blog linked above, you can find her web site at http://www.susanrich.net.
A reminder that I am also participating in the Big Poetry Giveaway - leave a comment on my giveaway post if you want to be in to win a free poetry book from me. Remember your e-mail address or I won't be able to let you know if you have won!
For more Tuesday Poems, visit the main hub site.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
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2 comments:
Loved this. Thank you. I'm all full of the energy that comes with Spring ... finally.
So much good poetry this week! I love this one, so rich with both melancholy and possibility (that's how I read it, anyway). There are some real gems in here, too --
I’m an incomplete bridge, crayon red Xs extending
across a world map.
and
A man offers me his bed like an emergency
exit, a forklift, a raft.
Thanks for this poem today. Really enjoyed it!
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