"year of unserious pursuits," a poem by hansa bergwall

Here is a lovely poem by Hansa Bergwall from The Thames & Hudson Project.  

The chapbook, a collaborative effort between Bergwall and Timothy Liu, is really stunning and beautifully hand-sewn with silk paper inserts.

You can order the chapbook from Fields Press.

Year of Unserious Pursuits

Let it bow, bowl and sweep—
my man rests in a carpet of apple blossoms,
down over and away.

We don’t care that the seasons roll
around us singing, ring around the rosy
eyed and in love.

Some autumn for pumpkins and
carving scares, laughter of teeth.
The icicles of February point to the center.

Ashes, ashes—
this will come to an end—
the plague is in Johnny Appleseed—life.

But with luck, we’ll see the pink blossoms again
and the reign of Sancho Panza,
ready to ride an ass for a handout of faith.

Pockets, lockets of hair tied with a red ribbon.
Lashes, your black lash caught to your cheek-
bone. Blow it.

Wish for a pine forest,
the scent of sap
and the cold uncanny promise.

So many ways to delay the grave game
and put our eyes instead on the spindly
blurry years and the colors.

Our hands clasped, our hearts light
as we all fall down together.
Our legs know how to give.

Hansa Bergwall is a poet who lives in Brooklyn with his husband. His poems have appeared or are forthcoming in St. Petersburg Review, Lodestar Quarterly, Whistling Fire and Caliban. His new collaborative chapbook is called The Thames and Hudson Project.



He will be reading at the Perfect Sense series at Cornelia Street Cafe, Wednesday, February 22nd at 6 PM.