Today's poem of the day comes from David Hickey, whose Open Air Bindery was for my money the undersung gem of 2011. It's a marvellous collection. Find it. Buy it. I'd rather have "The Astronomer's Apology" in my pocket than a star.
Speaking of evening-times: I also want to call your attention to the Poems after Midnight feature that Knopf is running on their website. With their stable it's worth checking out and the first piece is especially nice. Here's to the happy places our serious hearts have made, to paraphrase Jack Gilbert--and without further adieu, David Hickey.
A Brief History of Human Longing
from Open Air Bindery (2011)
Chapter One
I borrowed it from the library. It held onto my hand.
Chapter Two
I carried it like a rosary. It was the weight of a wedding band.
Chapter Three
I wore it off to work each day and back again at six.
Chapter Four
It sang out to the mower (the sink I couldn’t fix).
Chapter Five
I fell asleep against its font and my sleep was an old green hill.
Chapter Six
I look up sometimes, and I see it there.
Epilogue
And farther, farther still.
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