SurVision Magazine / Partridge Boswell

Nor Easter

Do you know how her surgery went?
     What surgery? She was supposed to have
a horse nebula removed from her head.

There's that bright red bird again.
     You know what they say about cardinals...
if you see one, that means a loved one has passed.

I could play the fiddle all day long.
     Why don't you?
Might as well, naught else to craic.

...Seeds you bring me this Sunday morning
     in a month of Sunday mornings. They say it's
Easter, but obviously no bunny. Too Pythonesque –

all those fierce jellybeans and colored eggs
     and resurrection still over a month away
according to the Taoiseach's latest proclamation –

best the rabbit stay hid in his cave
     and we in ours till the gyre resets
& fret dissipates. You plant lilies in me –

superstition and odorless love tinged with
     fear bordering on laughter. If those slow
thighs could maybe speed the beast,

those indignant desert birds stop
     troubling my sight for just one day.
The falcon hasn't heard the falconer

in a long ass time. I'd give anything,
     my favorite song, for some of that fake
grass to remind me how we used to be.

The King of Greenland

Resigned to our time out of time, we were toeing the line
     lightly, crossing desiccated mountains toting plastic Nalgene
and high tensile aluminum, hydrating often to flush toxins

from tainted reservoirs of skin, going along with hurricanes
     and barricades, noting where tornadoes touched down violently
in random nondescript towns in Texas, Connecticut, Ohio... the list

goes on, I won't bore you. The corps of engineers was reversing
     the flow from sink back to aquifer. We won't suck the oceans dry
they assured us or try to sell Greenland to the lowest bidder.

I looked the other way but signs grew aggressive and insistent,
     belligerent with indifference. Hunters roaming our yard stopped
wearing camouflage. Monarchs emerging from bright vermilion

chrysalae fluttered drunkenly toward the highway, a sickly verdigris.
     I don't have to mention what the bees weren't doing. Crosses were
popping up in the oddest places and self-combusting. The hospital

required us to sign a pre-nuptial power of attorney to let them keep
     our unborn children for life-saving medical research. It sounded
like a good idea at the time, even noble. Overnight our due date is

now our sell by date; our speed and emissions limits, suggested
     retail prices. We tried covering our ears but fabric was thin,
the pitch akin to nails dragged across a chalkboard. RIP

is the sound a flag makes when it stops waving for a nation
     and obeys the wind. Somewhere there must be a sign that says:
This Way Out of the corn maze, an arrow pointing the way out

of our own way – toward an off-grid pocket so unstrategic
     and dull even Sauron's drones would overlook it. That's what
we're looking for, isn't it? A peaceful shire. A wizard to watch

our back. A ringless hobbit we can trust with no delusion
     he'll live forever.

Partridge Boswell lives with his family in Vermont. He is the author of Some Far Country (Grolier Poetry). His poems appear in Poetry, The Gettysburg Review, Salmagundi,
The American Poetry Review, Poetry Ireland Review, december, Plume, Hotel Amerika, Prairie Schooner, Southword, and The Moth. He is a co-founder of Bookstock literary festival.

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An international online magazine that publishes Surrealist poetry in English. Issue Eight PARTRIDGE BOSWELL Nor Easter Do you know how her surgery went? What surgery? She was supposed to have a horse nebula removed from her head. There's that bright red bird again. You know what they say about cardinals... if you see one, that means a loved one has passed. I could play the fiddle all day long. Why don't you? Might as well, naught else to craic. ...Seeds you bring me this Sunday morning in a month of Sunday mornings. They say it's Easter, but obviously no bunny. Too Pythonesque – all those fierce jellybeans and colored eggs and resurrection still over a month away according to the Taoiseach's latest proclamation – best the rabbit stay hid in his cave and we in ours till the gyre resets & fret dissipates. You plant lilies in me – superstition and odorless love tinged with fear bordering on laughter. If those slow thighs could maybe speed the beast, those indignant desert birds stop troubling my sight for just one day. The falcon hasn't heard the falconer in a long ass time. I'd give anything, my favorite song, for some of that fake grass to remind me how we used to be. The King of Greenland Resigned to our time out of time, we were toeing the line lightly, crossing desiccated mountains toting plastic Nalgene and high tensile aluminum, hydrating often to flush toxins from tainted reservoirs of skin, going along with hurricanes and barricades, noting where tornadoes touched down violently in random nondescript towns in Texas, Connecticut, Ohio... the list goes on, I won't bore you. The corps of engineers was reversing the flow from sink back to aquifer. We won't suck the oceans dry they assured us or try to sell Greenland to the lowest bidder. I looked the other way but signs grew aggressive and insistent, belligerent with indifference. Hunters roaming our yard stopped wearing camouflage. Monarchs emerging from bright vermilion chrysalae fluttered drunkenly toward the highway, a sickly verdigris. I don't have to mention what the bees weren't doing. Crosses were popping up in the oddest places and self-combusting. The hospital required us to sign a pre-nuptial power of attorney to let them keep our unborn children for life-saving medical research. It sounded like a good idea at the time, even noble. Overnight our due date is now our sell by date; our speed and emissions limits, suggested retail prices. We tried covering our ears but fabric was thin, the pitch akin to nails dragged across a chalkboard. RIP is the sound a flag makes when it stops waving for a nation and obeys the wind. Somewhere there must be a sign that says: This Way Out of the corn maze, an arrow pointing the way out of our own way – toward an off-grid pocket so unstrategic and dull even Sauron's drones would overlook it. That's what we're looking for, isn't it? A peaceful shire. A wizard to watch our back. A ringless hobbit we can trust with no delusion he'll live forever. Partridge Boswell lives with his family in Vermont. He is the author of Some Far Country (Grolier Poetry). His poems appear in Poetry, The Gettysburg Review, Salmagundi, The American Poetry Review, Poetry Ireland Review, december, Plume, Hotel Amerika, Prairie Schooner, Southword, and The Moth. He is a co-founder of Bookstock literary festival.
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