In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

  • When in the Hour, and: Fulling
  • Éireann Lorsung (bio)

When in the Hour

I needed a hand so hard against my skin I would have taken a slap another person's body running into me on the street I would have taken the rough grain of unshorn skin tang of onion or beer sentences I don't understand in rooms I won't see again anything even wedding ring's gold clink on the nightstand in one gasp it would all come into me those hands the bones in the thighs spine bumps through skin even your husband I would have taken that. I did.

Fulling

Not dense sac of cell       felt looping shut with every needlethrust       fiber in any quantity matted together

Hair doesn't make sense, body pushing dead matterthrough the scalp.

Take the hand so through the machine       we touch wooltogether and her hands guide meIn the bucket       hot water, raw wool       Did your motherlove me that time?When she thought I would make sons or daughters for you, fixyour lost and broken pieces

In one corner dustpile       these are the thousands of cells I loseevery day without noticing [End Page 109]

How hairshirt falls from the body like a shell       we liveddeep in chivalry       the duty of the cloth

By the end just rocking spines       into softness, all collating      to allThis       is bound up in itself [End Page 110]

Éireann Lorsung

Éireann Lorsung was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but currently lives in Nottingham, England. Her first book of poetry, Music for Landing Planes By, was published by Milkweed Editions. She also maintains a blog called Two for Joy.

...

pdf

Share