The Lame God

Contents

C O n t e n t S Foreword by Edward Field ix Preface xi 1-800-the-LOSt 3 the rescue 4 What the neighbors heard 5 Amber Alert 7 Mandatum 9 Apology 10 On the Proper Care of Orchids 11 the retrieval 12 Museum 13 Lullaby for her Brother 14 Kaleidoscope 16 On recognizing Saints 17 Morning Offering 19 the Golden Bough 20 At the Grieving Parents Meeting 22 Demeter’s Side 24 Snow Globe 25 the rape of Chryssipus 27 i See you 28 river of Forgetfulness 29 Bingo night for Missing and exploited Children 31 A Glass of Absinthe 32 Catharsis 33 the Boy’s Lament 35 Little Fits 36 Mythology 39 Mother’s Day 40 requiem 42 Song of Daphnis 43 Loose ends 44 Sanriku 46 teaching the tragedies 47 Girl at Piano 48 Oaths, Curses, Blessings 50 Melville’s reader 51 Joseph Dreams two Dreams 52 Leaving the Mainland 55 the Ventriloquist 56 Songs of the immortals 57 the eviction 58 the Arrangement 59 Aubade 61 the Lame God 62 Against elegies 64 Acknowledgments 66 About the Author 67 The May Swenson Poetry Award 68 ...