Andrew Walker
Poem Before Blue Skies
It’s been bigger lately, that mouth, god, what a throat, so wide with song,
I’m yodeled lonely to its lips. No rain again today, humidity’s hand cupped
to keep sick down. Open air holds me instead. I am most whole when held
like an unpopped kernel on thirsty tongue, when peppered in salt and
soaked in saliva, when tooth-caught after shatter, shucked wet
from cheek, body’s husk streaked across the underside of couch arm,
pant leg. Some days, when the sky smiles wide enough to chubby bunny
popcorn clouds, I write still feel like dying in a notebook I’ll tear soon to
pieces, feeding an overstuffed bin little bits of me, crumpled but harmful—
a rock packed into a snowball, glass wrapped in the delicate flesh of a donut.
Most days, I think sky keeps me here panopticoned by the beauty of its breath—
how it dips despair in runny chocolate, leaves it to harden overnight. Tomorrow is
just another strawberry—just another fruit to let rot, to spoil the gifted
sweetness from damp soil, afraid to quench may I choke on pith, may I ruin
blue appetite, trauma tummy grumbly at the open lips of fridge—not hungry,
searching for something to rest within, held here in chilled light.
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
after Mary Ruefle
Tape an old family photo to the wall and throw a dart at it; if it does not hit the picture, try again until
it does. Find the person with the hole in their chest and interview members of your family about
them—What is their favorite color? Did they have any pets growing up? Which parts of themselves
have they molted in their aging? When you have compiled enough information, write a 750 - 1,000
word profile of them, highlighting the pivotal moments in their life. For extra credit, have the subject
read their own profile and record their weeping on camera.
Andrew Walker is a writer from Colorado living in Michigan. Their work has appeared in Guernica, Black Warrior Review, and Ninth Letter among others. They write weekly on their Substack, Observing Edges and have compiled a full list of their poetry and prose for your perusal at druwalker.com.
