The Dreamer by Djuna Barnes The night comes down, in ever-darkening shapes that seem— To grope, with eerie fingers for the window—then— To rest to sleep, enfolding me, as in a dream             Faith—might I awaken! And drips the rain with seeming sad, insistent beat. Shivering across the pane, drooping tear-wise, And softly patters by, …

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Self-Portrait as So Much Potential by Chen Chen Dreaming of one day being as fearless as a mango. As friendly as a tomato. Merciless to chin & shirtfront. Realizing I hate the word “sip.” But that’s all I do. I drink. So slowly. & say I’m tasting it. When I’m just bad at taking in …

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A Little Called Pauline by Gertrude Stein A little called anything shows shudders. Come and say what prints all day. A whole few watermelon. There is no pope. No cut in pennies and little dressing and choose wide soles and little spats really little spices. A little lace makes boils. This is not true. Gracious …

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A Supermarket in California by Allen Ginsberg What thoughts I have of you tonight, Walt Whitman, for I walked down the sidestreets under the trees with a headache self-conscious looking at the full moon.         In my hungry fatigue, and shopping for images, I went into the neon fruit supermarket, dreaming of your enumerations!         What peaches and what …

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Tonight No Poetry Will Serve by Adrienne Rich Saw you walking barefoottaking a long lookat the new moon’s eyelid later spreadsleep-fallen, naked in your dark hairasleep but not obliviousof the unslept unsleepingelsewhere Tonight I thinkno poetrywill serve Syntax of rendition: verb pilots the planeadverb modifies action verb force-feeds nounsubmerges the subjectnoun is chokingverb     disgraced     goes on doing …

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