appealing

The Maynard
Fall 2019

Matthew Schmidt
0:00
 
 

The ice was coming nicely

along in the cube trays.

Outside, in the pond, an otter

motors a flock-of-geese V.

Its soggy fur clear in my binocs.

How was your day, darling?

must be said in many rooms

as the doors open and shut

on another day apart.

Where is the green bean casserole

recipe? I said to my wife.

She didn’t answer. I live

on a trapeze above dirt, tights on,

swinging in thick silence.

A book open on the kitchen

counter by Virgil. Butter

shacked up in a dish. Some

outlets, daring me

to use them. Whatever

happened to mute us

began as water

where everything is said to begin

and must be true. You don’t

freeze or drown on separate earth.