Joshua Beckman Poems

Ocean which I pushed up
with my fingers so I could touch
the orange sand below
...

I let my body down slow which is
what they say to do, like a whale
with its breathing and floating
in the ocean.
...

I'm not with my blue toes or my doggies
nor am I under any arched roof rotting blossoms
in my drain, sunlight pouncing upon me,
nor am I fixed like a tree, nor am I unfixed
...

In Colorado, In Oregon, upon
each beloved fork, a birthday is celebrated.
I miss each and every one of my friends.
I believe in getting something for nothing.
...

The going. The letters. The staying.
The life of the little boy. The staying
and the life of the little boy. The
letter. The mushrooms. Dear Mom,
...

Unslide the door,
uncap the lazy little coffee cup.
The pasty people must be part of the dinner.
And a city turns its incapacity in,
...

They'll spend the summer
crushing the garden—
a steam let off slowly.
...

Seagulls beside ferry boat.
They're people-watching.
...

Oh, atlas
look
you forgot my island.
...

Melbourne, Perth, Darwin, Townsville,
Belém, Durban, Lima, Xai-Xai planes
with wingspans big as high schools
eight hundred nine hundred tons a piece
...