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

Muscle/Break

Thursday, November 28, 2024

Taking a break, taking five minutes, taking melatonin, your recommendations. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

"We give because giving has changed us."

Thursday, November 28, 2024

November 28, 2024 from our archive The Miracle of Giving DA Powell Twice Christ took the bread apart with his human hands that he used for such tasks, once with fish and once with wine, the grain a

Jeff Bezos wants AI to design your Thanksgiving turkey

Thursday, November 28, 2024

The Amazon billionaire is spending $100 million to design the perfect fake meat. Is it worth it? ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

"Wooden Window Frames" by Luci Tapahonso

Thursday, November 28, 2024

The morning sun streams through the little kitchen's / wooden panes Facebook Twitter Instagram Support Poem-a-Day November 28, 2024 Wooden Window Frames Luci Tapahonso The morning sun streams

Katie Holmes Wears These Classic Loafers With Every Outfit—For Years

Thursday, November 28, 2024

They always look good. The Zoe Report Daily The Zoe Report 11.27.2024 Katie Holmes Wears These Classic Loafers With Every Outfit (Celebrity) Katie Holmes Wears These Classic Loafers With Every Outfit—

The Cheater's Guide to Thanksgiving 🦃

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Shop all the best early Black Friday deals. While there are plenty of tips out there for folks making scratch desserts and artisan loaves, Lifehacker's Cheater's Guide to Thanksgiving focuses

Lindsay Lohan Wore A Plunging, Sheer LBD To Her Movie Premiere

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Plus, Vanessa Hudgens' holiday traditions, your daily horoscope, and more. Nov. 27, 2024 Bustle Daily Vanessa Hudgens On Holiday Style, 'High School Musical', & Kohl's CELEB STYLE

D.C. news station quietly scrubs stories on gas stove health dangers

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Advocates say Washington Gas, a WUSA9 sponsor, pressured the station to take down the stories. "News is absolutely being suppressed," one advocate said. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

‘Is It Even Worth It to Try and Date Again After Divorce?’

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Today in style, self, culture, and power. The Cut November 27, 2024 ADVICE 'Is It Even Worth It to Try and Date Again After Divorce?' You don't have to if you don't want to. But don

Authenticity's a B%*ch

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Listen now (33 mins) | Authenticity. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏