Poetry Magazine, C. Wolfe, September 2001

Poetry Magazine

C. Wolfe

USA

cwolfe+@pitt.edu

HIGHWAY PERSPECTIVE

Eyes travel up over
the bridge arch
and glance down
at the river.

Silver arc
cool as cloud forms
dark flow below
warm as smiling eyes.

Rush up the viaduct
peer over railroad bridge beneath
black steel rectangle
dormant as firemen waiting…

Then the wailing whistle
of a train
makes the whole rectangle
shake with vibrant chattering.

Criss crossing ramps allow one to soar
Over cars
and under cars
scoot out behind an 18-wheeler
and pass her.

The road flattens
stretches out to the horizon
slip back from the front seat
the car window
step back from the painting
and breathe.

PUZZLE BOX

When all you think of is stimulation
It’s lucky to be a fiction writer
.35 m x .53 T x 4.5 A = 83 N
or a poet because there are formulaic ways
3.2 N x sin 90 = 3.2 N
to let your emotions explode
onto the paper
.8 m x 5 A x 6 T = 24 N

Some rely on downers
or depression’s sleep
or filthy housekeeping
or a lot of coffee
some use fabulous four letter words or
"place the loop perpendicular to the magnetic field"
or use a play on words.

Everyone has a little sword fighting
in ‘em, some take it out on a bottle
or in a boxing ring
some shut down completely with needles
others leap off buildings
some find it a sin to complain

If I can fence you
"the slope of N = (A +9) (B + 2)"
with words
then I may puzzle my way
out of the box
with no windows or doors
no key and no lock.