REQUEST # 1

REQUEST #1

Hang me there a thick portrait:
this cinder barge in summer,
in oil, borne upon the river’s filth.

Hang it there above this bed
pitted and collapsing.

UKRAINE IS SHRINKING ...

UKRAINE IS SHRINKING

This family of starlings sits down
to toast each other and their own return
from being away, from being concerned
with the walking rain and the barking fog.

This family of starlings sits down
to plates of blood sausage, to loaves of
heavy bread, to pungent jars of homemade
pickles, to toast the pig’s liver dumplings.

This family of starlings stands up
and with golden teeth this family smiles
and with squinting eyes this family raises
their glasses to the woman of the house.

AS ROOTS ARE ...

AS ROOTS ARE / AS ROOTS WERE /
WE USED TO BUILD

She got herself a nosebleed and it would
not stop. We took her to the hospital
and they said she’d need a transfusion
real soon and that’d cost fifty dollars.
That nosebleed stopped just like that.

Anyway we were building a house and the house
was almost finished when the contractor
got killed in a car crash and he didn’t
have the money and it was never finished.
We used to do stupid things. We used to build.

During the war we used to get Harvards
and make them return at the Rosemary School.
That was where they’d make their turns and
go back to Clairesholm or Pierce. After the price
dropped we found other ways to make our money.


She got herself a nosebleed and
It would not stop. W e took her to
The hospital and they said she’d
Need a transfusion real soon
And that’d cost fifty dollars.
Her nosebleed stopped just like that.

Anyway we were building a house
And the house was nearly finished when
The contractor got killed in a car
Crash. He didn’t have the money
And the house was never finished.
We used to do stupid things
We used to build.

During the war we used to snare
Magpies with our old bootlaces.
We’d take them to Rosemary and trade
The feet to the Ministry for sugar.
We sold the sugar to the Blackfeet.
Because they had cash and we didn’t.

Rosemary was where they’d make their turns
And go back to Clairesholm or Pierce. The price
Dropped when the war was over, and we
found other ways to make our money.