Poetry
(Swans - September 26, 2011)
Moonworts fiddleneck maidenhairs in the sphagnum
while pikas chirp revenge on you,
armed-toothed double-bitted lumberjack
in the narcoleptic sprawl of the night.
The ptarmigan widows are gathering to bring you in.
You're a wanted Man,
the Man of the hour, but it was only an hour,
and now it's over.
We can't kill you—you're dead already.
We can't jail you—you own all the keys.
But we can drive you crazy
with agoraphobias of infinity
and old haphazards of heartbreak to a mescalero beat.
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About the Author
William T. Hathaway is an adjunct professor of American studies at the University of Oldenburg in Germany. He is the author of various novels, including A World of Hurt (Rinehart Foundation Award), CD-Ring, and Summer Snow, which was reviewed on Swans in March 2006. A selection of Hathaway's writing is available at http://www.peacewriter.org. (back)