Open
August is a passionate month: steamy weather, lazy days, all about the ocean and the sun and bare skin. Poetry can be the ultimate expression of passion… at least in words. Many poets like Rita Dove and Pablo Neruda are well known for the passionate love stories and scenes that appear in their poems. At the April 2007 hoot, local poet Christopher Locke shared an August-worthy poem during the open mic that continues the tradition. Notice that his word choices are very sensual (The drapes let down like milk; thirst; heat, swollen) and the references to thirst, heat, the great tide of breath, all allude to the passionate season of summer. Explicit description is unnecessary for the reader to fully understand the speaker’s longing and satiation. We are excitedly anticipating another spectacular hoot season starting in September and in the meantime wish you all poetry and a summer’s ending filled with passion.
-- Lesley Kimball
Open
The drapes let down
like milk, silencing
noon’s bright accusation.
And then you come
to me, blouse spread
like promise, like
a memory of thirst
I’ve forgotten. Heat
fills my mouth, pulls
your great tide of breath,
until that which is swollen
unlocks the watering tongue.
- Christopher Locke
"Open” Copyright 2007 by Christopher Locke. This poem by Christopher Locke is from his recently completed manuscript 'The Unsorrowing'. Chris was recently awarded a NH Center for the Arts Fellowship in Literature for 2007/2008.