Poem-a-Day - "In the Meantime" by Max Garland

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
November 11, 2021 

In the Meantime

Max Garland

The river rose wildly every seventh spring
or so, and down the hatch went the town,
just a floating hat box or two, a cradle,
a cellar door like an ark to float us back
into the story of how we drown but never
for good, or long. How the ornate numbers 
of the bank clock filled with flood, how 
we scraped minute by minute the mud 
from the hours and days until the gears
of time started to catch and count again.
Calamity is how the story goes, how
we built the books of the Bible. Not 
the one for church, but the one the gods
of weather inscribed into our shoulder
blades and jawbones to grant them grit
enough to work the dumb flour of day
into bread and breath again. The world
has a habit of ending, every grandmother 
and father knew well enough never to say,
so deeply was it stained into the brick 
and mind. We live in the meantime
is how I remember the length of twilight 
and late summer cicadas grinding the air
into what seemed like unholy racket to us, 
but for them was the world’s only music.

Copyright © 2021 by Max Garland. Originally published in Poem-a-Day on November 11, 2021, by the Academy of American Poets.

Subscribe to the Poem-a-Day Podcast 

  


“My grandparents loved to remember the drowning of our western Kentucky town in the 1937 Ohio River flood. I inherited the newspaper images—a Jersey cow on a second story balcony, people rowing down Broadway. That flood became intermingled with the one I learned about in church, Noah’s flood. In fact, history and childhood religion more or less flowed together in an ongoing story of Calamity and Grit. But honestly, I probably wrote the poem because I liked the sound of the words ‘the river rose wildly’ and wanted to keep that sound going as long as I could.”
Max Garland

Max Garland is the author of Into the Good World Again (Holy Cow! Press, 2022), and The Word We Used for It (University of Wisconsin Press, 2017). The recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Bush Foundation, he is the former Poet Laureate of Wisconsin, where he currently lives.
 
Into the Good World Again
(Holy Cow! Press, 2022)

“What the Water Knows” by Sam Hamill
read more
from “Poem in the Shape of a Rose” by Pier Paolo Pasolini
read more

Thanks to Kimberly Blaeser, author of Copper Yearning (Holy Cow! Press, 2019), who curated Poem-a-Day for this month’s weekdays. Listen to a Q&A about Blaeser’s curatorial approach and find out more about our guest editors for the year
This free, daily series is made possible by our readers. If you’re able, please consider donating to support this work. 
Become a monthly sustainer
join
Make a one-time gift
donate
Copyright © 2021 The Academy of American Poets, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website.

Our mailing address is:
The Academy of American Poets
75 Maiden Lane
St #901
New York, NY 10038

Add us to your address book


View this email in your browser

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Older messages

"On Working Remotely & No Longer Commuting with Chronic Pain" by Camisha L. Jones

Wednesday, November 10, 2021

the train leaves the station without me / so does the bus Facebook Twitter Instagram Support Poem-a-Day November 10, 2021 On Working Remotely & No Longer Commuting with Chronic Pain Camisha L.

Poems for Veterans Day, Gather in Poems, and more

Tuesday, November 9, 2021

Support Poets.org November 9, 2021 Poems for Veterans Day Reflect this Veterans Day with these poems from Poets.org: “Little Lead Soldiers” by Giannina Braschi, translated by Tess O'Dwyer “The War

"Ultra Orator Spell" by Soham Patel

Tuesday, November 9, 2021

I become the song I've been / singing alone in this field with you. Facebook Twitter Instagram Support Poem-a-Day November 9, 2021 Ultra Orator Spell Soham Patel I become the song I've been

"Jellyfish Olympics" by Cristina M. R. Norcross

Monday, November 8, 2021

There are wires and cords / that stretch out, Facebook Twitter Instagram Support Poem-a-Day November 8, 2021 Jellyfish Olympics Cristina MR Norcross There are wires and cords that stretch out, hang

"Autumn" by Alexander Posey

Saturday, November 6, 2021

In the dreamy silence / Of the afternoon, a Poem-a-Day is reader-supported. Your gift today will help the Academy of American Poets continue to publish the work of 260 poets each year, and share this

You Might Also Like

The Best Thing: November 12, 2024

Wednesday, November 13, 2024

The Best Thing is our weekly discussion thread where we share the one thing that we read, listened to, watched, did, or otherwise enjoyed recent… ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

The #1 Hair Color Trend For Winter 2025 Will Be...

Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Coffee isn't the only thing heating up. The Zoe Report Beauty The Zoe Report 11.12.2024 (Beauty) The #1 Hair Color Trend For Winter 2025 Will Be... (Hair) The #1 Hair Color Trend For Winter 2025

Heidi Klum’s No-Pants Look Was Cyborg Chic

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Plus, Megan Fox's naked pregnancy announcement, Gigi Hadid's party bathrobe, your horoscope, and more. Nov. 12, 2024 Bustle Daily Can I Tell My Boyfriend About Exes & My Past Relationships?

The FDA Is Finally Pulling This Cold Medicine From Market

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Avoid These Common Mistakes During Open Enrollment. Scientists have known for years phenylephrine is ineffective. Not displaying correctly? View this newsletter online. TODAY'S FEATURED STORY The

Trump's environmental assault begins

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Here's how activists envision the fight ahead. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

The Case for Watching 'Bridgerton' With Your Teens

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Today in style, self, culture, and power. The Cut November 12, 2024 PARENTING It's Family 'Sex Scenes' Night When violent porn is everywhere, is there a case for serving up romantic

‘Gladiator II’ More Than Justifies Its Existence

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Plus: Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo's 'Wicked' press tour is full of happy tears. • Nov. 12, 2024 Up Next Your complete guide to industry-shaping entertainment news, exclusive

14 Riverside Drive by Glen Bullock

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Prose ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

Two Chains

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

What Do You Think You're Looking At? #188 ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

"𐓷𐓘𐓻𐓘𐓻𐓟/Wahzhazhe/Osage" by Elise Paschen

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

The first language / 𐓷𐓘𐓻𐓘𐓻𐓟 which Eliza, / her grandmother, spoke. Facebook Twitter Instagram Support Poem-a-Day November 12, 2024 𐓷𐓘𐓻𐓘𐓻𐓟/Wahzhazhe/Osage Elise Paschen Wa-zha'-zhe, name of the