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Writing Photography Past Projects Interact Artists |
B & N This is the most revised of all my poems;
I have chosen a selection of important changes and posted them with the
newest at the top and the original poem at the bottom. In the café of Barnes and
Noble, across the lawn, we are joined by Twain and Swift to share crumpets and good humor. top – newest – discuss – poetry
In the café at Barnes and Noble, Someday, we’ll tell our children top – newest – discuss – poetry
In the café at Barnes and Noble, we sip our tea (Yours Earl Grey and mine orange, muted by cream and sugar). Above the counter, flat, dark, and green, Hemmingway talks with Wilde. I keep looking at them, at my pen (still, unused all night), and at yours (guided craftily and with care). At the park beside the library like the water beside us, our voices wash quietly into nothing. Twain fades with your reverent commentary, replaced by Joseph Heller. He passes, too, and all the others. Someday, we’ll tell our children bedtime stories: that we met in Middle Earth (under the leaves of Fangorn) and married in Atlantis (while it was living). They’ll laugh and roll their eyes, but we will know the truth. top – newest – discuss – poetry
Sitting in the café at Barnes and Noble sipping tea (Yours Earl Grey and mine orange, muted by cream and sugar) [I obviously intended to add lines here]. Lying by the stream in the park downtown, like the water beside us, our voices wash quietly into nothing. The poetry we sigh together: the closest we come to “I love you.” We can sit in silent study in the library inhaling the musky words off the pages of long-forgotten books, our smiles washed away by cheap florescent lights. We’ll tell our children that we met in Middle Earth (under the leaves of Fangorn) and married in Atlantis. They’ll laugh and roll their eyes, but we will know the truth. top – newest – discuss – poetry
We can sit in the café at Barnes and Noble and talk about the things we love while we sip our tea (Yours Earl Grey and mine orange, muted by cream and sugar) basking in the glory of the books pretending we are worthy of them. Let’s learn to love once more lying by the stream in the park downtown. Like the water beside us, our voices will burble quietly into nothing. The poetry we sigh together: the closest we come to “I love you.” We can sit in silent study in the library inhaling the musky words off the pages of long-forgotten books, our smiles washed away by cheap florescent lights. We’ll tell our children that we met in Middle Earth (under the leaves of Fangorn) and married in Atlantis. They’ll laugh and roll their eyes, but we will know the truth. top – newest – discuss – poetry
Let’s go sit in the café at Barnes and Noble And talk about the things we love While we sip our tea Basking in the glory of the books Pretending that we are worthy of them. Let us learn to love once more Lying by the stream in the park downtown Under the shade of our tree Smiling the golden smiles of youth As we pour over a volume of poetry. We can sit in silent study In the library Exchanging knowing glances As we read together The
Complete Works of William Shakespeare We’ll tell our children That we met in Middle Earth And married in Atlantis They’ll laugh and roll their eyes But we will know the truth. top – newest – discuss – poetry |
All original material © 2003 Erika Salomon.
