May Swenson Long Poems
- 1. Motherhood
She sat on a shelf,
her breasts two bellies
on her poked-out belly,
on which the navel looked
... - 2. The Tall Figures Of Giacometti
We move by means of our mud bumps.
We bubble as do the dead but more slowly.
The products of excruciating purges
... - 3. October
1
A smudge for the horizon
that, on a clear day, shows
the hard edge of hills and
... - 4. The Woods At Night
The binocular owl,
fastened to a limb
like a lantern
all night long,
... - 5. Water Picture
In the pond in the park
all things are doubled:
Long buildings hang and
wriggle gently. Chimneys
... - 6. That The Soul May Wax Plump
My dumpy little mother on the undertaker's slab
had a mannequin's grace. From chin to foot
the sheet outlined her, thin and tall. Her face
uptilted, bloodless, smooth, had a long smile.
...
