Steve Kowit Poems

This evening, the sturdy Levi's
I wore every day for over a year
& which seemed to the end
in perfect condition,
...

A noun's a thing. A verb's the thing it does.
An adjective is what describes the noun.
In "The can of beets is filled with purple fuzz"
...

Now that I've unplugged the phone,
no one can reach me--
At least for this one afternoon
they will have to get by without my advice
...

One fine morning they move in for the pinch
& snap on the cuffs— just like that.
Turns out they've known all about you for years,
...

In a downtown San Jose hotel,
exhausted & uptight & almost broke,
we blew 16 colones & got stewed on rum.
You lounged in bed
...

Years ago we owned two cats who hated each other.
When I said we had better give one away
you wouldn't hear of it— you
...

I am translating a poem by Domingo Alfonso
called Crossing the River.
When I lift my head from the page it is night.
I walk thru the rooms aware of the shapes
...

I hiked out to the end of Sunset Cliffs
& climbed the breakwater,
sneakers strung over my shoulder
& a small collection of zen
...

If I am ever
unlucky enough to die
(God forbid!)
I would like to be propped up
...