Fred Marchant, “Pinckney Street”

A view from the crest of Boston to the river—
a walk and my friend stopping to say that
for three weeks each year
and beginning tomorrow
this will be the most
beautiful place in the city—
our respite in the brick-faced buildings
blushing in sunlight,
in star magnolias swelling,
about to burst into bright badges,
medallions of tangible life and light
the shook foil that Hopkins wrote about—
th minutes we have of grandeur, hope, gratitude.

The Looking House is the fourth collection of poems by Fred Marchant, and it actually came out late last spring, but since h’s going to be reading at the Bowery Poetry Club in New York City next Sunday, February 28, at 2 p.m., as part of a series sponsored by Four Way Books, I thought it’d be good to mention it now.

Other poems from The Looking House include “Ard na Mara” (published in Poetry Daily) and “Note Held” (Poetry).

23 February 2010 | poetry |