Friday, May 06, 2016

Something quiet

A poem by Tony Hoagland, 1953: Prolonged exposure to death / Has made my friend quieter. /  Now his nose is less like a hatchet / And more like a snuffler. / Flames don’t erupt from his mouth anymore / And life doesn’t crack his thermometer. / Instead of overthrowing the government / He reads fly-fishing catalogues / And takes photographs of water. / An aphorist would say / The horns of the steer have grown straighter. / He has an older heart that beats younger. / His Attila the Hun imitation / Is not as good as it used to be. / Everything else is better. https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/quiet

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