Ode to My Right Knee
- Ode to My Right Knee
Oh, obstreperous one, ornery outside of ordinary protocols; paramilitary probie par
excellence: Every evidence you yield yells.
No noise too tough to tackle, tears
springing such sudden salt when walking wrenches:
Haranguer, hag, hanger-on—how much more maddening
insidious imperfection? Membranes matter-of-factly
corroding, crazed cartilage calmly chipping away as another arduous ambulation
begins, bone bruising bone. Leathery Lothario, lone laboring
gladiator grappling, groveling for favor; fair-weather forecaster, fickle friend,
jive jiggy joint: Kindly keep kicking. [End Page 129]
Rita Dove, former US Poet Laureate and 1987 Pulitzer Prize recipient in poetry, is Commonwealth Professor of English at the University of Virginia. Among her nine poetry books are American Smooth (Norton, 2004) and Sonata Mulattica (Norton, 2009).
