The sun rears by Jennifer Bartlett

View this email on a browser Forward to a friend August 13, 2014   The sun rears   Jennifer Bartlett

The sun rears her unlikely head In this late spring, I walk past rubber black boots decorated With brightly colored umbrellas In a useless attempt to block the rain. Up the subway to 14th street Around the corner to 12th I climb to the tenth or the eighth floor Depending on your bodily condition. I keep vigil over this resting. My body is a candle, glowing Until you make the transition Back into or out of this life. This is among the things that could happen. This is among the things that happened. For now, you reside in imposed silence. Dying is just another commodity and The soul wants routine. The soul wants sameness, boredom. The soul wants letting go. Over us, the palmed stars.            Copyright © 2014 by Jennifer Bartlett. Used with permission of the author. About This Poem   “‘The sun rears’ is part of a series of poems from my forthcoming collection, Autobiography/Anti-Autobiography. Dedicated to my friend Dion, who passed away from complications due to AIDS, the poem follows a trajectory of concrete actions surrounding illness, vigilance, and grief. Through recording these actions the poem makes a vessel for emotions.” —Jennifer Bartlett   Jennifer Bartlett is the author of Autobiography/Anti-Autobiography (theenk Books, 2014). She lives in Brooklyn, New York. Most Recent Book by Bartlett   Autobiography/Anti-Autobiography (theenk Books, 2014) "Eulogy" by Kevin Young "Units" by Albert Goldbarth "Portrait of a Figure Near Water" by Jane Kenyon Poem-a-Day   Launched during National Poetry Month in 2006, Poem-a-Day features new and previously unpublished poems by contemporary poets on weekdays and classic poems on weekends.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