Friday, July 18, 2008

Feature: this poem

entitled "The Quiet World," by Jeffrey McDaniel


In an effort to get people to look
into each other's eyes more,
and also to appease the mutes,
the government has decided
to allot each person exactly a hundred
and sixty-seven words, per day.

When the phone rings, I put it to my ear
without saying hello. In the restaurant
I point at chicken noodle soup.
I am adjusting well to the new way.

Late at night, I call my long distance lover,
proudly say I only used fifty-nine today.
I saved the rest for you.

When she doesn't respond,
I know she's used up all her words,
so I slowly whisper I love you
thirty-two and a third times.
After that, we just sit on the line
and listen to each other breathe.


(Once, a poetry professor banned us from writing love poems all semester because she thought the topic is worn. I agree. But I think this is a modern love poem that's poignant without being sentimental and beautiful without being boring.)

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