a poem by chip livingston

A Proposal
-for Gabriel


I am a young man, Fire. You
are a young man, Wood. Listen,
I will go with you. In the air,
I enter, ancient. You in the smoke.

Kingfisher just kissed you.
The green frog, he just kissed you.
The dragonfly, wood, water, stone.
Choices are frequently made through inspiration.

A cloth, a chair, a walking stick.
Various symbols to elevate you.
The little white dog made footprints.
You and I just hold up the stars.



"A Proposal" originally appeared in The Florida Review


Chip Livingston is the author of the poetry collection Museum of False Starts (Gival Press, 2010). His most recent publications include New York Quarterly, The Florida Review, Drunken Boat, and Court Green. Chip lives in New York City and Montevideo, Uruguay. Visit his web site at www.chiplivingston.com.