Featured Poet: April 2009 Vol. 1 #6
Erin Quick
Erin Quick grew up in Columbia, MO and now lives in South St. Louis. She holds a B.A. in English-Creative Writing and a Certificate in Women’s Studies from Webster University, where she also served as Poetry Editor for The Green Fuse. The last few years have found her peddling poetry from the stacks at Left Bank Books while managing the bookstore. Most recently, she is taking some time to welcome a new friend into her growing family. She is committed to social justice and building community through literature. As the volunteer librarian at The Soulard School, she exposes elementary school children to the wonders of poetry before they ever have a chance to be turned off to it.
When Hanging Up the Mobile: A Found Poem
~for David
When hanging up your mobile
there are certain measures
which should be observed:
1)
Hang the mobile
so that it has a quiet, uniform background.
Light
walls in a corner
are often to be preferred.
2)
Preferably
close to a lamp in such a way
that its shadow will be cast on the wall
or ceiling,
this giving the mobile yet another
dimension. A candle
is the most concentrated source of light,
and will give
distinct, well-defined shadows.
3)
Try to hang the mobile
where you can watch it while listening
to music. You will see
the mobile move
to the rhythm of the music.
Moore’s Paradox: Love
A baby died in the design of a city,
a baby was never born.
Here is the shape a family takes,
here is a star,
here is a hand, and she was never born.
A baby died in the design
before we could tell her about skyscrapers or trees,
before she could taste cherries or wine
or feel sunshine or the hum of pain
upon leaving it all,
before we could tell her
the word for love is death.