“The Hatred of Poetry” by Sandra Anfang

Sandra Anfang

THE HATRED OF POETRY

I read it in the New York Times
so it must be true:

a poet writes a book of poems
about why the masses hate poetry.

I ponder hatred;
surely it’s too strong a word

for the random tickle
the mind’s unravel

something we ought to welcome
when analysis of the latest 

police shooting glazes our ears.
Fear not—good neighbors

think of it as the latest staycation
an interlude of dreaming

at the kitchen table
mind in the stars

while cats trace figure eights
around a plate of crusts

and the cup of cold coffee
separating you

from all you think
you need to do today.

from Rattle #56, Summer 2017

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__________

Sandra Anfang: “One morning I found an extra hour to eat breakfast and read the New York Times online. A book title, The Hatred of Poetry, leapt from the screen, nearly causing me to spill green tea over the keyboard. I was stunned to find that the book being reviewed was written by a poet. I hefted my sword (Microsoft Word). I write for many reasons, but these days, it’s often to challenge an outrageous view or to give form to what feels like a world headed off the rails.” (website)

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