Sunday Service

Sunday Service: Austin LaGrone Poem

When the Victim has Collapsed & Cannot be Lifted

The matchstick lady dances in a bowl of fire.
“Fire” –So very American, writes Larry Levis.
Casual and therefore exalted over angels, writes

Hermes Trismegistus. I’ve been thinking
about Tabitha. Her baby seals and black
pepper. The way she jimmies the diaspora

of the least fetching bishop and huddles
coldly in the back pocket of the Oldsmobile.
I want to poke her with a cheap umbrella

beneath a mutual communion of stars.
Yep, you’ve seen it coming for a long time,
the crescendo arrives like a blue rhinoceros,

horn aflame. And death, death wears a nice tie,
picks up the check, combs over a few greasy
strands of hair like a man with many watches.

Austin LaGrone is the author of Oyster Perpetual (Lost Horse Press, 2011). He lives in Brooklyn and teaches at John Jay College.

October 23rd, 2011 / 11:00 am
Sunday Service

5 Comments

  1. Landolakes

      la groan

  2. Braybray239

      Black pepper and collared greens, Austin you’ve done it again!

  3. marshall

      a bray bray

  4. Melissa Broder

      omg yes. comment snark at sunday service? so excited! feel to have arrived.

  5. michael

      i liked this