David Brower
Glen
Canyon, 1956
The river was still undammed,
cliffs visible,
wildlife unknowing
their fate.
When the water rose
some would proliferate,
some disappear,
and people would come
on jet skis and in rental
canoes, not as well-equipped
as this canoe parked
on the bank.
Though the executive order
had been set in motion
the river was still free,
and he didn’t know,
he could still see
nature according to itself
as he sat on a log,
his grilled steak sagging
slightly over the edges
of his Sierra Club cup.
That night under the stars
he dreamed of living
under the water
with all the happy creatures.
Weekend Project: moving furniture
It was your idea
to reconfigure rooms.
I follow along
trying not to upset you.
You get sad
then angry
because I’m not
taking ownership.
You expected us
to do this together.
We stop working
and talk.
Now you’re crying.
I wasn’t aware
there was a problem.
I failed you, again.
The one room
is looking quite good.
The hallway clogged
with things
that don’t have
an obvious destination.
Of course, this is just my opinion
It could go one way or the other.
Either the spring builds up, trickles
or geysers at the surface, or stays
a blind current buried (under fear
or numbness). Yes or no used to be
without explanation, a reaction
to readiness. Then the stairway of logic
built higher and higher in response
to the questioning, as the floor dropped
stepwise farther into the basement.
It’s all a construction.
Irony
The ghost inside me seeks
every opportunity
to make this day
about me
each wall a mirror
each face an insult.
Or compliment.
I am here for a reason:
to pile on validation
that I’m here for a reason
and around I go
in the circle cage of days
the light changing
the leaves changing
and I wonder
where the time goes.
Quantum entanglement
Our souls came blasting out of Brahman
and they face each other perplexed:
How do we belong
to one another?
Can we connect
through conflict?
Is conflict
another form of love?
Michael Favala Goldman (b.1966) is a poet, jazz clarinetist and translator of Danish literature. Among his sixteen translated books are The Water Farm Trilogy by Cecil Bødker and Dependency by Tove Ditlevsen (a Penguin Classic). His first book of original poetry, Who has time for this? was published in 2020. HIs second book of poetry, Small Sovereign, is forthcoming this October. He lives in Northampton, MA, where he has been running bi-monthly poetry critique groups since 2018. https://michaelfavalagoldman.com/
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