Maybe it’s Ian. Maybe walking with him
to the sitter’s, a kind of
religious exercise, his singing
counterpoint to mine as we walk
wakens the gods.
The fog dances more gently
into the trees. This ripest of
moments gives birth to amazement
so pure it hurts. That the world
arranges itself so vividly before me!
That all things, trees, houses,
weeds, stones, roses,
even porched pigeons and a flat
gray sky, everything
glows! And my woman loves me
and my son adores me
and these marvels were set out for us to
stroll through and for one sweet minute
I have absolutely nothing to regret.
Austin Straus is a poet and visual artist who creates one-of-a-kind artists’ books. He has taught English, art, and philosophy and has worked for human rights with Amnesty International and other groups. With his wife, the poet Wanda Coleman, he hosted The Poetry Connexion on Pacifica Radio. “L.A. Morning” is from his collection Drunk with Light, from Red Hen Press, and is reprinted by permission. The author’s photo is by Steve Oshatz.
Maybe it’s Ian. Maybe walking with him
to the sitter’s, a kind of
religious exercise, his singing
counterpoint to mine as we walk
wakens the gods.
The fog dances more gently
into the trees. This ripest of
moments gives birth to amazement
so pure it hurts. That the world
arranges itself so vividly before me!
That all things, trees, houses,
weeds, stones, roses,
even porched pigeons and a flat
gray sky, everything
glows! And my woman loves me
and my son adores me
and these marvels were set out for us to
stroll through and for one sweet minute
I have absolutely nothing to regret.
Austin Straus is a poet and visual artist who creates one-of-a-kind artists’ books. He has taught English, art, and philosophy and has worked for human rights with Amnesty International and other groups. With his wife, the poet Wanda Coleman, he hosted The Poetry Connexion on Pacifica Radio. “L.A. Morning” is from his collection Drunk with Light, from Red Hen Press, and is reprinted by permission. The author’s photo is by Steve Oshatz.