Hand Grenade Bag by Henri Cole

View this email on a browser Forward to a friend August 12, 2014   Hand Grenade Bag   Henri Cole

This well-used little bag is just the right size to carry a copy of the Psalms. Its plain-woven flowers and helicopter share the sky with bombs falling like turnips—he who makes light of other men will be killed by a turnip. A bachelor, I wear it across my shoulder—it’s easier to be a bachelor all my life than a widow for a day. On the bag’s face, two black shapes appear to be crows—be guided by the crow and you will come to a body—though they are military aircraft. A man who needs fire will soon enough hold it in his hands.            Copyright © 2014 by Henri Cole. Used with permission of the author. About This Poem   “Over the past thirty years hand grenades, tanks, fighter jets, missiles, helicopters, and assault rifles have replaced traditional floral patterns in rug making and other textiles. Depicting these realities of war has helped the Afghan people to survive during times of conflict.” —Henri Cole   Henri Cole is the author of Nothing to Declare, forthcoming from Farrar, Straus, and Giroux in March of 2015.  He teaches at Ohio State University in Columbus and lives in Boston part-time. Most Recent Book by Cole   Nothing to Declare (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2015) "War Rug" by Henri Cole "Mosul" by David Hernandez "Bagram, Afghanistan, 2002" by Marvin Bell Poem-a-Day   Launched during National Poetry Month in 2006, Poem-a-Day features new and previously unpublished poems by contemporary poets on weekdays and classic poems on weekends. Thanks for being a part of the Academy of American Poets community. To learn about other programs, including National Poetry Month, Poem in Your Pocket Day, the annual Poets Forum, and more, visit Poets.org.   You are receiving this e-mail because you elected to subscribe to our mailing list. If you would like to unsubscribe, please click here.   © Academy of American Poets 75 Maiden Lane, Suite 901, New York, NY 10038