My Sadness by Campbell McGrath

View this email on a browser Forward to a friend September 28, 2016   My Sadness   Campbell McGrath

Another year is coming to an end but my old t-shirts will not be back—   the pea-green one from Trinity College, gunked with streaks of lawnmower grease,   the one with orange bat wings from Diamond Cavern, Kentucky,   vanished without a trace.   After a two-day storm I wander the beach admiring the ocean’s lack of attachment.   I huddle beneath a seashell, lonely as an exile.   My sadness is the sadness of water fountains. My sadness is as ordinary as these gulls   importuning for Cheetos or scraps of peanut butter sandwiches.   Feed them a single crust and they will never leave you alone.            Copyright © 2016 Campbell McGrath. Used with permission of the author. About This Poem   “As you get older, certain facts come sharply into focus, like the importance of t-shirts in our lives. If you live in a place like Florida your wardrobe may consist of little else. T-shirts are boon companions, and their loss is a reminder of the fleeting and ineffable nature of existence. As for Cheetos, just don’t bring them to the beach, ok?” —Campbell McGrath   Campbell McGrath is the author of ten books of poetry, most recently XX: Poems for the Twentieth Century (Ecco Press, 2016). He teaches in the MFA Program at Florida International University in Miami, where he lives with his family. Poetry by McGrath   XX: Poems for the Twentieth Century (Ecco Press, 2016)  "Alternate Self-Portrait" by Dean Rader "Home is so Sad" by Philip Larkin "Introduction to the World" by Matthea Harvey Poem-a-Day   Launched during National Poetry Month in 2006, Poem-a-Day features new and previously unpublished poems by contemporary poets on weekdays and classic poems on weekends.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