Cafes
My poem, Letter to Eli, has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. This poem first appeared in Stirring
My deepest thanks to editor, Erin Elizabeth Smith, and the rest of the Stirring staff. This is my third Pushcart nomination.
LETTER TO ELI
In last night's dream, you were a crumpled paper
in my hands, your asymmetrical wings
unfolding as you took to the sky,
a small wounded bird unable to fly
a straight line. The sun illuminated your body,
and I saw for the first time
the bullet hole, dark and round, barely missing
your heart. Then I understood
your incessant need for sex, for prayer,
for uncooked food. The fields
surrounding my house went vacant for years.
Nowadays I inhabit all the places you dwell.
Sometimes I lean my ear to the ground
and hear your voice cajoling black
ants to finish tasks they've begun.
I spend my days hunched over
the kitchen table, making paper boats
that might carry me across the river.
I long for the land of lost ghosts
and incomplete shadows. Surely you know,
I write our names on each boat.
Inside crayon hearts, Eli, we are still in love.
Jayne Pupek