09 April 2009

National Poetry Month

This poem is from Karen Houle’s book During, which was published by Gaspereau Press last spring. Karen discussed the process of writing this book in an earlier blog, posted on February 6, 2009.


Because We Were Prepared
to Make Use of Each Other
Karen Houle

Two by two in a harness of blended capability—
our handmade house with its hundred movable parts:

Parts to organize the light for sleeping,
parts for being all alone and
parts for being alone with you.

Your voice soon bent to fit my keyhole
was the opening in you to the outside world.

One thing safe inside another,
the high talk began

brutalizing one’s mouth by the questions coming out of it.

Feet melt on rungs of deadly daylight.
Skin bangs on its hinges all night.

My breasts still warm dead doves—
picture window, mistaken for open sky.

Copyright © Karen Houle, 2008


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