Painting by Alice Neel Once in childhood, I saw love in an art book.Painting of Geoffrey Hendricks and Brian.But, of course, I couldn’t read thenand...

On Learning to Be Alone You are not supposed to want itout loud (or so I am told): the breaking open of the sternum,the flooding of...

Starry Night And the Astronauts “When I paint space, I am with the astronauts,”—Alma Thomas, visionary artist and painter, 1972 A Japanese billionaire books SpaceX’s starship...

Informal Form your thinking in lines of two.Let couplets speak their gauzy magic. Does this form count? No real form butwhite space, no imposition but a...

Historian A world of vanished nations in your head You lie tonight without a thought to spare Anything but the wind that downs the leaves...

DARCY’S PANTOUMTrained to be invisible yet helpful.Latchkey kid living beside the tracks.Console Mom when first marriage flops.Summer visit Dad’s new family in Maine.Latchkey kid...

El Jorobado I hate talking to a beautiful man.It’s like trying to talk to the statue of David. Every inch of him is crafted,to form...

My Greatest Performance Long hair, curled to perfection, 5am sharp Pink frilly dresses and sparkly eye shadow American Eagle skinny jeans Peach Aeropostale shirts Magenta belt wrapped around hips After...

Alive on Cuckold Creek I My thalassophobic daughter monitorsmy adventures. I’m known to cross unfamiliarwaters, over my head, with wind, stinginginvertebrates, and at times little...

RAINY DAY SOULSONG It’s time to quietthe jealous pastfind new stormsto rile our bloodone eyeon tomorrowthe other, wiseto yesterdaysharp as diamondsand the sky openedto the...