June Air

JuneAir MeenaAlexander Allsummer I wanted toholdtight TowhatI felt wasthetruth A penurious thing. AllI hadourbreath, anunsteady pulsing With holesenough Fora swallowtofly through. I remember oneinourroom Hovering bytheportrait ofsomeone else'sancestors A girl skirts askew, eyeshalf shut Seatedona tricycle. Behind her, handscradling hershoulders Aboybruised bypaint. Thebirdswambythegilt ceiling Thenstartled, dasheditself against thewindowframe. After thebeating wings weredone Hillsclarified indarkness, Bits oflight fell from thesky. Wewatched notknowing whatitallwas, Theairhurting usinto happiness Wenever really thought waspossible. cc Z Iz O ce < ï Meena Alexander's work includes sixbooksofpoetry, a memoir, a bookofessaysandpoems,twonovels, andtwo critical studies, and sheeditedIndian LovePoemsforEveryman's Library. She isDistinguished Professor ofEnglish attheGraduate Center and Hunter CollegeoftheCity University ofNewYork andcurrently servesas an electorin theAmerican PoetsCorner oftheCathedral ofSt.John theDivine. Herinterview withDanielaGioseffi appearedin theJanuary 2006issueofWLT, and hermostrecent collection ofessays, Poetics ofDislocation, waspublished bythe University ofMichigan Pressintheir Poetson Poetry series. Sittingin Starbucks MeenaAlexander I sitbythewindowstaring atthesky Onthesidewalk, a messofreddish leaves. Three girls strut by,heelssharpasbirdbeaks Hairpiledontodelicate necks, thetallest sports A tank topmarked withstars andMilky Way. WhenSarpedon begantobleed Twingodsdescended Thanatos andhisbrother whosenameisSleep. Theygathered upleaves From therim ofthebattlefield Touched them tothedying man'seyes. Whocanoutlive thechaosoftheworld? TheleavesofHypnos Pressed toa warrior's eyesstart tosmoke, then burn. WereadintheIliadthat Sarpedon Wasborne intotheskybythetwins. Leavesdrift totheground where corpses lie. Three girls whispering secrets PassbyTip-Top Pharmacy. Theydonotstop(they arenotinsearch ofa cure). Theyflutter through thedoorway ofa nailsalon, Songbirds smeared withlight. November- December 2010 i 53

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