What do you think this poem is about?

The Surface

It has a hole in it. Not only where I

concentrate.

The river still ribboning, twisting up,

into its re-

arrangements, chill enlightenments, tight-knotted

quickenings

and loosenings--whispered messages dissolving

the messengers--

the river still glinting-up into its handfuls, heapings.

glassy

forgettings under the river of

my attention--

and the river of my attention laying itself down--

bending,

reassembling--over the quick leaving-offs and windy

obstacles--

and the surface rippling under the wind's attention--

rippling over the accumulations, the slowed-down drifting

permanences

of the cold

bed.

I say iridescent and I look down.

The leaves very still as they are carried.

Submitted: Monday, January 13, 2003


Read poems about / on: river, wind

Comments about this poem (The Surface by Jorie Graham )

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  • Cathy Dreyer (3/21/2012 9:13:00 AM)

    I read this with a lot of humour. Is it a stream of self-consciousness?

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