Fall 2007 / Spring 2008

North Country Blues: the blue walrus poem

by David Spiering

the blue walrus's mistress
marvels at his roundness—
she takes him in her eyes
as pigeons sit on a leaky roof
the bare light bulb's steady
on the front porch
adding rounded light rings to darkness—
her affections cut him up—
he imagines himself
a body in the river, a party
for rocks, mud and fish;
dancing, dancing, dancing
it's a steady pulse that
just won't wash

after she met the blue walrus,
she broke up with her husband—
now [the blue walrus] swims
in her admonition preaching
blue sermons all night long