northfield public library, and other poems by Henry Brown
northfield public library
we walk fast here because it’s cold outside.
wind hits downturned forehead over sidewalk.
inside library i swallow the news
newspaper up down and onto the next—
washington new york right words now in ink
print distribute war whisper wind blows by
record expunged: wind blows paper down road
we walk fast here ‘cause we’ve somewhere to be
much more important than sitting around—
speak loud now the end of each war, Northfield!
i say it’s the end it’s the end end now!
stand on a stool! declare. open window!
power-mad on nothing but sweeps of wind
power-mad empowered by force of wind
power-mad each bomb dropped unreported
power-mad writing the world on paper
power-mad minnesota! eyes downcast
mad without power, on twelve hundred now
twice a day two, new york times down once more
breakneck language polite, fit to print now:
we walk fast here to escape what’s behind.
open! (prophet speaks)
weary-flashing window:
go through the motions of
red-blue persuasion, ask!
open! cycle on off
shell gasoline, side-street
”no more vain oblations”
rain sideswipes neon-cry,
open! dry step on mat
windowpane chattering
”i cannot away with”
fast fall but dry in here
open! sticks, flickers storm
flash-flood warning now heard
pale wailing alarm front!
”redeemed with judgement”
open! glimmer on road.
nonprofit communications training
‘info with a soul’—
must now roll in
the numbers?
novel anecdote—
shit-grin, spit-shine now
the numbers:
animate seven with Names
cry oh-one, see? three
nights lost to self lost
crawl soft back to me
Henry Brown is a writer and third-year Religion major/Spanish minor at Carleton College, where he organizes with the Democratic Socialists of America. His poems have recently appeared in Amethyst Review, Isacoustic, Eleventh Transmission, and The Bitchin' Kitsch and will be featured later this year in After The Pause, Eunoia Review, Wax, and Quatrain.fish.