elegy

these fingers
last touched
the skin
which last touched
the bones
which will soon
touch the last
of any dirt
he'll lie still for
















earliest spring

the earth has been known
to somewhat glow this time of year
what with the sky dismissed
the air seemingly consuming
more of itself than is advisable
we inherit little more than
the crow's blackest asterisks
thus shrugging into the concussive mist
each step less and less reluctant
to be given up by the earth
















stupidest blues

now everyone walks on
the water
& dishes more out
now everyone walks
on the water
& does whatever it is
they wanted to do
so don't go & sing me
those stupidest blues
don't lie to me
no don't lie
stupidest blues
the earth will never
die never












Mark DeCarteret's work has appeared in the anthologies American Poetry: The Next Generation (Carnegie Mellon Press, 2000) and Thus Spake the Corpse: An Exquisite Corpse Reader 1988-1998 (Black Sparrow Press). His latest chapbook The Great Apology was published several years back by Oyster River Press for which he also co-edited the anthology Under the Legislature of Stars: 62 New Hampshire Poets.






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