Poem of Natural Selection

by | Dec 4, 2012 | Poetry

 

 

 

 

 

 

This poem has risen up from a modern world

Of ugly American cities.  It has survived

Dogma and rednecks.  It has learned to praise

The sun and earth, to lower

Its quirky, unneeded tail

Right into the thick of things.

 

This poem has small blind eyes

And an accidental bump

On its nose to feel through the dark.

It will never grow feathers

Or a unicorn’s spiral.  It has accepted

Its horns like two mushrooms,

And will sacrifice itself for other

More efficient poems,

With larger muscles and sharper claws.

 

This poem scuttles along

On tiny legs, taking joy in the fact

That it has breathed its weak, small breaths,

 

Like a glowing ash

That has drifted up into a tree,

Everyone amazed that it has lasted

Its two or three minutes,

Before it gives itself up

To a branch’s black enveloping wing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo by Ruth Ellison

About The Author

Peter Bethanis

Peter Bethanis’s poems, essays, and stories have appeared in Poetry, Tar River Poetry, Haight Ashbury Literary Journal, River Review, Country Journal, and the Indianapolis Star among others.  In 1995 he was selected by James Dickey as winner of the Eve of St. Agnes Poetry Prize.  His poems “American Future” and “Li Hua’s Messenger” have been selected as featured poems on Poetry Magazine’s website.  He has been a finalist in the New Issues Poetry Prize and the National Poetry Series.  His poems have been anthologized in several collections including The Hecht Poetry Anthology and the Mellon Poetry Anthology.  He is the author of two books, Dada and Surrealism for Beginners from Random House and American Future, a collection of poems, from Entasis Press.  He has taught at several universities and is currently a professor in the writing program at Ball State where he has taught for fifteen years.