Authors: Lorine Niedecker
Beautiful girl—
pushes food onto her fork
with her fingers—
will throw the switches
of deadly rockets?
New-sawed
clean-smelling house
sweet cedar pink
flesh tint
I love you
My friend tree
I sawed you down
but I must attend
an older friend
the sun
In Leonardo's light
we questioned
the sun does not love
My hat
attained
the weight falls
I am at rest
You too
hold a doctorate
in Warmth
You are my friend—
you bring me peaches
and the high bush cranberry
you carry
my fishpole
you water my worms
you patch my boot
with your mending kit
nothing in it
but my hand
Come In
Glen Ellyn
Education, kindness
live here
whose dog does not impose
her long nose
and barks quietly.
Serious wags its tail
—they see us—
from curtain tie-backs
no knick-knacks
between us.
The men leave the car
to bring us green-white lilies
by woods
These men are our woods
yet I grieve
I'm swamp
as against a large pine-spread—
his clear No marriage
no marriage
friend
The wild and wavy event
now chintz at the window
was revolution…
Adams
to Miss Abigail Smith:
You have faults
You hang your head down
like a bulrush
you read, you write, you think
but I drink Madeira
to you
and you cross your Leggs
while sitting.
(Later:)
How are the children?
If in danger run to the woods.
Evergreen o evergreen
how faithful are your branches
FLORIDA
1
Always north of him
1 see
he's close
to orange, flower
roseate bird
soft air
the state
I'm in
2
Henry James
St. Augustine
they overplayed
its Spanish story
yet was this romance
that most solicited
him
3
Cape Canaveral
Space shot off
man appears normal
4
Flocks
of headkerchiefs
the plumed flamingo
gone
the vanity of women
slacked
My life is hung up
in the flood
a wave-blurred
portrait
Don't fall in love
with this face—
it no longer exists
in water
we cannot fish
Easter
A robin stood by my porch
and side-eyed
raised up
a worm