Wednesday, May 04, 2011

My poem on Holi is in In Focus,the newsletter of the California Writer's Club West Valley.

Yesterday I got my copy of the Mass Review. Finally.


A BOOK perfect~
Yesterday, finally the book got here
From wherever that is,
Red brick and college square, spiffy, in my mind’e eye
(photos in catalogs that dot the road not taken)
Though Belgium is what is says on the brown cover
I stare at the label, trace the masthead
think of caravans, and silk routes and loads of myrrh and spice
And breathe in a whiff of the strange places this must have been.

Yesterday, finally the book got here
After I’d panicked and “If it may please your lordship, may I please …”
(supplicated the editor)
Even as I wondered about the Mayflower and therefore the Bostonian royals and protocol
should-nots,
When patience gave way like the ice on a pond that muff-covered women in an old postcard skate on
I’d fidgeted, mumbled and then asked

Yesterday after the book got here,
I traced my name on the back cover
Wondered with a lump in my throat, at its perfectly bound form
Neat orderly rows of gracious fonted letters, marching down the page
Stared at the index, with section titles in latin, and heavyweight contributors,
Agape

Now that the book is here
I shall begin my day
Touching the pages, tracing the gracious curve of assorted alphabets
Trace the smooth loveliness of the art pages, wonder black crayon can do so much
perfection
a gulp in my throat at the beauty of it all
my personal prayer
of reassurance, backbone.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

A book?

THE Book?

My heartfeld congratulations, dear Austere!
Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah!



You'll float over the ground for some weeks - remember it well, an enviable feeling!
I was kissing the sky when my first (and not followed by many) realseriousarticle was published and I received my copies (I still have a handful). Dangerous thing, such a book - a whole BOOK! HEY!
I am sure you can handle this, of course. Allow yourself to be proud, it is all right. HA!

austere said...

Thanks, mago. If only it were a full book-- but as I've said above, my copy of The Massachusetts Review. Which is big for me. :)

Y said...

Congratulations! May this be the beginning of a full book and then many more books to come.

- Loup

Arunima said...

Oh my God! :-)

norrbu said...

I'm so very happy for you Austere di. And I expect a great book from you.

Anonymous said...

It is big for Anyone. Thrilling. I checked the link just so I could see your name there, too. I am smiling. Congratulations.

monideepa said...

hey,this is wonderful, fantabulous! huge hugs :-)