Men as Friends by Robin Becker

View this email on a browser Forward to a friend June 1, 2015   Men as Friends   Robin Becker

I have a few which is news to me Tom drops by in the mornings with his travel mug my mother would call it a coffee klatch we review our terrible histories with fathers and talk about the father he’s become and how much it will cost to replace gutters the ice brought down and then there’s soft-spoken Harvey with whom I enjoy long pauses in conversation about how they raised the Nelson town hall and put a foundation underneath during which we both look at Mt. Monadnock and then down at the ground and then back at each other silence precipitating the pretty weather we share before he goes inside for lunch when I had to pack up my office Tom boxed and loaded books into my car I didn’t think he’d want to but his idea of friendship includes carrying heavy things at the dog park the retired Marine with the schnauzer asked do you have a husband  I replied I don’t care for men in that way as a Marine James mostly played cards on a supply ship now he mostly hunts and fishes climbs his orchard ladder for my Cortlands and in trout season leaves, in my fridge, two rainbows            Copyright © 2015 by Robin Becker. Used with permission of the author. About This Poem   “In this poem, I sought to embody the delicate yet resilient nature of friendship. Conversations that probe sensitive territory; the local, shared experiences of place and weather; and showing up to help a friend move boxes all contribute to the rich stew of affection. At the poem’s close, I wanted to evoke an unlikely connection—one that exists between two people who, across their differences, find ways to care for one another. Eliminating capitalization and punctuation helped me focus on the essential elements of imagery, music, narrative.” —Robin Becker   Robin Becker is the author of Tiger Heron (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2014). She teaches at Pennsylvania State University and splits her time between Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, and Nelson, New Hampshire. Most Recent Book by Becker   Tiger Heron (University of Pittsburg Press, 2014) "I Love the Hour Just Before" by Todd Boss "You & I Belong in This Kitchen" by Juan Felipe Herrera "From the Lives of My Friends" by Michael Dickman Poem-a-Day   Launched during National Poetry Month in 2006, Poem-a-Day features new and previously unpublished poems by contemporary poets on weekdays and classic poems on weekends.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