Word of Mouth by Catherine Bowman

Author:Catherine Bowman [Bowman, Catherine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-54964-8
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Published: 2003-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

MY FRIEND’S DIVORCE

I want her

to dig up

every plant

in her garden

the pansies

the pentas

roses

ranunculus

thyme and lilies

the thing nobody knows

the name of

unwind the morning glories

from the wire windows

of the fence

take the blooming

and the almost-blooming

and the dormant

especially the dormant

and then

and then

plant them in her new yard

on the other side

of town

and see how

they breathe

GOING FOR PEACHES, FREDERICKSBURG, TEXAS

Those with experience look for a special kind.

Red Globe, the skin slips off like a fine silk camisole

Boy breaks one open with his hands. Yes, it's good,

my old relatives say, but we'll look around.

They want me to stop at every peach stand

between Stonewall and Fredericksburg,

leave the air conditioner running,

jump out and ask the price.

Coming up here they talked about

the best ways to die. One favors a plane crash,

but not over a city. One wants to make sure

her grass is watered when she goes.

Ladies, ladies! This peach is fine,

it blushes on both sides.

But they want to keep driving.

In Fredericksburg the houses are stone,

they remind me of wristwatches, glass polished,

years ticking by in each wall.

I don't like stone, says one. What if it fell?

I don't like Fredericksburg, says the other.

Too many Germans driving too slow.

She herself is German as Stuttgart.

The day presses forward wearing complaints,

charms on its bony wrist.

Actually ladies, (I can't resist),

I don't think you wanted peaches after all,

you just wanted a nip of scenery,

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