Poems by Dan Haislet
super-bloom
in the mojave desert the sky is
falling and death valley will catch it softly—
a blanket of wildflowers
a thing without boundaries becoming clear to me
roadways quartzlike
divots and too low clouds
each shape a thing out of view
each shape slows the mind men cross
with children
right
the script on the white board tells us
finish the bill of rights assignment
if i opened a window i would see
a hemmed in wild space
it’s called the armory and i don’t know why pressed against the school’s chain links
and the smallest herd of buffalo
twenty at most——-grazing the frozen grass
the bleating beasts may be discussing herd history
debated to death
the youngest shouting it’s always been this way
the oldest gaze over electrified fencing
to rush hour traffic – america’s age-lined jowls –
wondering how
it got this bad
Dan Haislet is a wannabe punk rocker, a graduate of University of New Hampshire’s MFA poetry program, a long-time chef, and current 10th and 11th grade English teacher.
Table of Contents for A Formal Feeling