Poem-A-Day: Gila by Rigoberto Gonzalez

Having trouble viewing this email? Click here

Gila by Rigoberto González   It's no curse         dragging my belly across                 the steaming sand all day.         I'm as thick as a callus                 that has shorn off its leg. If you find me I can explain         the trail made by a single limb.                 I am not a ghost. Do not be afraid. Though there are ghosts here-         they strip down to wind                 or slump against rock to evaporate.         Sometimes I crawl beneath the shedding, backing up into the flesh pit for shade.         Praise the final moisture of the mouth, its crown                 of teeth that sparkles with silver or gold. I make a throne of the body         until it begins to decay.                 And then I'll toss the frock- death by hunger, death by heat-         off the pimples of my skin.         Don't you dare come into my kingdom, peasant, without paying respect on your knees!         What generous act did I commit in my previous life, that I should be                 rewarded with this paradise: a garden in which every tree that takes root here         drops its fruit eye-level to me. This is the first publication of "Gila," copyright © 2012 by Rigoberto González. Used with the permission of the author. Poetry by Rigoberto González Black Blossoms Other Fugitives and Other Strangers October 10, 2012 Photo by  M. Ettlinger Rigoberto González is the author of three books of poetry, including Black Blossoms (Four Way, 2011). Related Poems A Crocodile by Thomas Lovell Beddoes The Armadillo by Elizabeth Bishop The Caterpillar by Robert Graves Poem-A-Day started as a National Poetry Month program in 2006, delivering daily poems from newly-published poetry titles.   Due to popular demand, Poem-A-Day became a year-round program in 2010, featuring original, never-before-published poems by contemporary poets on weekdays, and classic poems on weekends.   Browse the Poem-A-Day archive for selections since 2010.  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.

Forward this email This email was sent to prentice654.allsms@blogger.com by poetnews@poets.org |   Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy. Academy of American Poets | 75 Maiden Lane | Suite 901 | New York | NY | 10038