[Dark mornings shown thy mask]
By Sandra Alcosser, Kim Addonizio, Léonie Adams, Donald C. Babcock, Agathias, Kaywynne Adams, Irwin Burbank Abrams & Paul Aaen
Dark mornings shown thy mask
made well thy visage and voice
rolling over and hearing some perfect
sweetness that one broad soul poured forth
again in happy countenance and ancient word
my city cold
for me, my nature
lost
come back
sallow soft and colorless
thy dreams repent
as:
The whole family
each with his own
“Now, sweet child, we must
kiss winter goodbye, and so too
your furs.”
She clutched the puppy to her breast.
“Not little Bobby, father.”
“Yes, my darling, little Bobby as well.”
And this, as she ought, was how Gretel
remembered summer – a constant giving up
of things and people.
Copyright Credit: Joshua Beckman, “[Dark mornings shown thy mask]” from Take It. Copyright © 2009 by Joshua Beckman. Reprinted by permission of Wave Books.
Source: Take It (Wave Books, 2009)