Naomi Beth Wakan
TWO TANKA
what
are sandwiches
without sand?
the sea-breeze lifts
the edge of the picnic cloth
* * *
the day
after he died
she started
to wear his old sweater
the bottom edge unraveling
—from Rattle #35, Summer 2011
Tribute to Canadian Poets
Michael Shea
LETTER TO A YOUNG BOMBMAKER
“‘Now I am become Death, the destroyer of
worlds.’ I suppose we all thought that, one
way or another.”
—J. Robert Oppenheimer, creator of
the Atomic Bomb, on the Trinity Test
If God is a penny, drop him down the well.
Then you can start in on any my dear mister
and unbuckle Orion’s belt till the fallout
litters the fields and the dessert
trays, the china teacups and the china—
men don’t need no whispers of wicks
to make fire lick the stalks and shafts
of unborn bread. Say, Consider the moon
and I might, but I’d rather face the sand dunes
and a pillar to push you off. Gimme the sun
whirring like a pushmower. Gimme the cuticle
of convenience and I’ll show you God’s thumb.
Bottlenecked boys can’t swear till they’re sweaty
and looking for a sin to atone for—and everyone
needs a reason to be locked up. If you come
to the desert tonight, I’ll show you a secret. Why not?
No reason for a peach, even, except to eat it.
—from Rattle #35, Summer 2011
Tribute to Canadian Poets
SINGLE MAN’S SONG
after Al Purdy
—from Rattle #35, Summer 2011
Tribute to Canadian Poets
__________
Jacob Scheier: “I wrote this poem in response to a rather canonical Canadian poem, entitled ‘Married Man’s Song’ by Al Purdy. Purdy (may he rest in peace) is somewhat of an icon in Canadian letters, though was barely noticed in the U.S. (except by his friend, Charles Bukowski). ‘Married Man’s Song,’ by way of summary, is a sort of argument in favor of infidelity (though not without irony). I wanted to complicate the romanticism of this poem with a rather unromantic depiction of single life—to which I had, at the time I wrote ‘Single Man’s Song,’ recently chosen for myself based on rather romantic notions somewhat along the lines of Purdy, as well as Shelley and a host of other unhappy, however ‘free,’ poets.” (web)
WHAT WE HEARD ABOUT THE CANADIANS
—from Rattle #35, Summer 2011
Tribute to Canadian Poets
__________
Rachel Rose: “I write to order the burning world, and to burn the accepted order. I write to make sense out of the chaotic, the inexplicable, the unbearable, and also I write with the desire to imagine things being different than they actually are. I write to share an experience with an unknown reader, and I write as part of a great humanistic yearning to connect, metaphorically and literally. I write because I can’t play the banjo and I’m too shy to sing, but I can do this.” (link)
WHAT WE HEARD ABOUT THE AMERICANS
—from Rattle #35, Summer 2011
Tribute to Canadian Poets
__________
Rachel Rose: “I write to order the burning world, and to burn the accepted order. I write to make sense out of the chaotic, the inexplicable, the unbearable, and also I write with the desire to imagine things being different than they actually are. I write to share an experience with an unknown reader, and I write as part of a great humanistic yearning to connect, metaphorically and literally. I write because I can’t play the banjo and I’m too shy to sing, but I can do this.” (link)
THE POLICE ME FOLLOW SO
—from Rattle #35, Summer 2011
__________
Rolli: “I wrote my first poem at age five—in crayon—on the bathroom wall. It’s still my favorite canvas.” (website)
