Saturday, September 17, 2005

CD Wright

born and raised in arkansas and now teaching at brown university, cd wright's poetry rings with clarity and honesty.

Personals

Some nights I sleep with my dress on. My teeth
are small and even. I don't get headaches.
Since 1971 or before, I have hunted a bench
where I could eat my pimento cheese in peace.
If this were Tennessee and across that river, Arkansas,
I'd meet you in West Memphis tonight. We could
have a big time. Danger, shoulder soft.
Do not lie or lean on me. I'm still trying to find a job
for which a simple machine isn't better suited.
I've seen people die of money. Look at Admiral Benbow. I wish
like certain fishes, we came equipped with light organs.
Which reminds me of a little known fact:
if we were going the speed of light, this dome
would be shrinking while we were gaining weight.
Isn't the road crooked and steep.
In this humidity, I make repairs by night. I'm not one
among millions who saw Monroe's face
in the moon. I go blank looking at that face.
If I could afford it I'd live in hotels. I won awards
in spelling and the Australian crawl. Long long ago.
Grandmother married a man named Ivan. The men called him
Eve. Stranger, to tell the truth, in dog years I am up there

Linked at The American Academy of Poets

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Personals

Some nights I don't sleep. I wait naked, curled up beside the door. When it opens I catch a glimpse of the dark night, a velvet glove. My feet are size eight in heels. I never wear them. The house is quiet, the garage a mess. There is a sewing box by the tent. Chili peppers are drying on newspaper. Gahandi waits for me just beyond the horizon, he is camped in the hills. I should make sure he has food and shelter, leave offerings. Tomorrow is Sunday and he won't be in church. I'd rather not be in Vegas but Memphis, or the desert is A-OK by me. Write soon.

chella said...

what a wonderful response! inspires me to write my personals too! thanks so much, chella