Into the ranks of my enemiesI’m sendingfewer instructions.
Better bread.Smaller sensations.I’m sending
this new poemI’d hoped to feeldifferently about,
at least insofaras I understand itright now.
I’m filing my report:It’s the endof a lazy summer
we can’t afford.We live herein a word or two.
I’m raisingmy boy,it seems possible,
even now, earbudslike tinyboxing gloves
in his ears.I’m sending thislist of things
to fix. Small repair.A bus map.Woodsmoke.
I’m sendingthe dog.I love that dog.
Side Effects May Include
Unusual brightness. A brother briefly.Missed songs one by onewhile the tape falters forward.
You may feel as if you’re passing outfliers in the sun the whole time,
in a body equally incomprehensible,blinking back at you coolly.
Pain in the chest and legs.Unusual spackling. Forgotten swans.
There might be stagehands for milessetting up the…
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The American Poetry Review (Digital) - 1 Issue, January/February 2025