Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Atsuro Riley

Clary

Clary

Clary

Her cart like a dugout canoe.


Had been an oak trunk.


Cut young. Fire-scoured.


What was bark what was heartwood : P u r e C h a r - H o l e


Adze-hacked and gouged.


Ever after (never not) wheeling hollow there behind her.


Up the hill toward Bennett Yard; down through Eight-Mile,
the Narrows.


C o m e s C l a r y b y h e r e n o w


Body bent past bent. Intent upon horizon and carry.


Her null eye long since gone isinglassy, opal.


—The potent (brimming, fluent) one looks brown.


C o u r s e s C l a r y s u r e a s b a y o u t h r o u g h h e r e n o w


Bearing (and borne ahead by) hull and hold behind her.


Plies the dark.


Whole nights most nights along the overpass over Accabee.


C r o s s e s C l a r y b l e s s h e r b a r r o w u p t h e r e n o w


Pausing and voweling there— the place where the girl fell.


( )


Afterwhile passing.


Comes her cart like a whole-note held.
Close

Clary

Her cart like a dugout canoe.


Had been an oak trunk.


Cut young. Fire-scoured.


What was bark what was heartwood : P u r e C h a r - H o l e


Adze-hacked and gouged.


Ever after (never not) wheeling hollow there behind her.


Up the hill toward Bennett Yard; down through Eight-Mile,
the Narrows.


C o m e s C l a r y b y h e r e n o w


Body bent past bent. Intent upon horizon and carry.


Her null eye long since gone isinglassy, opal.


—The potent (brimming, fluent) one looks brown.


C o u r s e s C l a r y s u r e a s b a y o u t h r o u g h h e r e n o w


Bearing (and borne ahead by) hull and hold behind her.


Plies the dark.


Whole nights most nights along the overpass over Accabee.


C r o s s e s C l a r y b l e s s h e r b a r r o w u p t h e r e n o w


Pausing and voweling there— the place where the girl fell.


( )


Afterwhile passing.


Comes her cart like a whole-note held.

Clary

Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère