Sigh for a Failed Poem

By David Athey

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Something about the brain
in mystical water, and cod,
scrod, olive oil,
and olives. There was a rain-
bow trout, or salmon, lentils,
pumpkin seeds and pumpernickel
bread, and red wine (of course)
and a refrain: Brain go to Kitchen
Kitchen go to Heaven
Heaven feed Brain
Brain go to Kitchen
Kitchen go to Heaven
Heaven feed Brain
(repeated 4 or 5 times) (maybe 7)
How much
refrain is too much? Cabbage,
asparagus, broccoli, kale,
all those leafy greens--
I couldn’t help me,
myself, and I, and Brain said: More!
Refrain! 7 times, 7
times more! Collard greens, beets,
mustard greens, lima beans,
lemony lime and leapin’ salmon
glazing the sky!
Understand? Brain. Kitchen.
Something…mystical water…more…
Heaven…more…more…
(less refrain)
Sigh.

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David Athey’s poems, stories, essays, and reviews have appeared in various literary journals and magazines, including Christianity & Literature, Iowa Review, Dappled Things, Berkeley Fiction Review, Windhover, Relief, Time of Singing, and Harvard Review. Athey lives in South Florida on a small lake with large iguanas. His books, including Art is for The Artist, are available at Amazon.

David's other work on Foreshadow:
That Poet (Poetry, October 2024)
Our Days in Rays of Light (Poetry, November 2024)