POEM OF THE WEEK • APRIL 19 - 26, 2010

MY FATHER AT SUNSET

By Annie Breitenbucher

Tonight

Last night

The nights before —

Around this corner

a bend of light through tall

grass and flowers planted wild.

All the colors of sunset: Lemon, melon,

cherry, received by the rims, the spokes, the blue

bike frame and — finally — me. Me receiving

the particles that must be you. Light

confetti in my nose, my throat, and

Filling my chest with that

bittersweet sorrow:

Having you here,

then not. Always

I am taken by

surprise.

From The Quiet Eye: Thirteen Ways of Looking at Nature (Laurel Poetry Collective, 2009)

About Laurel

The Laurel Poetry Collective is a gathering of Twin Cities poets and graphic artists, dedicated to publishing beautiful, affordable books, chapbooks, and broadsides.

Established in 2002, the Collective’s goal was to produce full-length books and broadsides by each of its 20 poet members, as
well as annual anthologies. That goal was met in 2007, and celebrated with a reading at the Minneapolis Public Library, as part of their “Talk of the Stacks” series.

The Collective continues to sell its publications through this Web site. We also continue to share our voices through readings. For more information on our work, or to schedule a reading, please contact us.

Annie Breitenbucher