Looking for a City
In one window, a million people sing
for the person upstairs.
I let the calls ring out, dab my eye
with a takeaway napkin, let old music
knuckle the muscle of my heart.
What I do: I don’t believe. I knit
my quilt made of old songs,
my quilt made of old songs,
cut crystal candy dishes, leased blouses,
Dickie overalls, local honey
from an old friend’s hive,
butter bean and garlic scape
dancing in a Corningware bowl,
dancing in a Corningware bowl,
Gillette razors, deodorant pads—
the things that filled their houses.
I just sit vigilant, let the twang believe
the way you sit in a cold house: keeping
the small, hard goodness of my kin
close: a wondrous winnowing love.
48 thoughts on "Looking for a City"
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This is beautiful! I especially love the imagery! “knit
my quilt made of old songs, cut crystal candy dishes, leased blouses, Dickie overalls, local honey from an old friend’s hive,
butter bean and garlic scape dancing in a Corningware bowl,” This all makes me think of my Granny’s house.
Thank you Alora!
And there is a quiet penitence in your list, to your list. Love the specific images you conjure, as Alora already pointed out. You pointed out the way I say things: I love “knuckle the muscle of my heart” both for the unexpected turn of phrase and its musicality.
I second the love for “knuckle the muscle of my heart.” Perfect phrase.
Thank you Chelsie!
Thank you, Joseph! I am into an almost-rhyme!
the sacred unbelievingness of this one, Shaun. F%$&! it sweetly ordered rebellion. the simplicity of it.
Thank you Manny! I love that: poetry as “sweetly ordered rebellion!!!”
I really like the quiet restraint in this piece. There’s no melodrama or heavy sentimentality — it just trusts the reader to feel the weight through those small, carefully chosen details. That’s something I struggle with myself (I tend to over-explain everything), so I really admire how well you pulled it off here.
Thanks, Jeremy. I appreciate your voice. I struggle with balancing my “saying” a lot and keep trying to grow!
Love love love the list and the music in this Shaun.
The last two lines, perfect landing.
Great balance.
Thanks so much, Coleman!!
You made me feel like I was floating invisibility in the air inside this poem or maybe like I was remote viewing the entire scene. . .until the end, when it actually made me shed a tear and I realized that my experience of this poem, and even my own life’s memories are more like the click of a viewfinder, where you need the light to see. Fantastic write!
Wow, thank you so much. I’m honored you found something in it.
Oh man, “knuckle the muscle of my heart”! paired with that tender ending. Nicely done!
Thank you so much, Bill.
This “list” poem is so beautifully specific.
I love “dab my eye/with a takeaway napkin” and “butter bean and garlic scape/dancing in a Corningware bowl.”
Thank you, Linda!
Shaun, Love the list in your second stanza, the sound and idea of “let old music / knuckle the muscle of my heart,” and the lovely ending image of “the small, hard goodness of my kin / close: a wondrous winnowing love.”
Thank you so much, Karen!
I love how this resonates, Shaun. The end especially:
“keeping
the small, hard goodness of my kin
close: a wondrous winnowing love.”
Yes. A great write.
Thank you H.A.! Happy that it resonated.
i love the knitted quilt of images in the middle stanza. the play of sound between knuckle and muscle is great. two for two this year already lol
Thank you Kris!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
this one knocks the breath
out
of me
Shaun
Thank so much Jim!
Beautiful lines, beautiful use of words. Outstanding work
Thank you, Mike!
Quietly gorgeous. And if I’m reading it right, I totally relate. I too have visited the churches of my past as a nonbeliever and still found tremendous comfort, especially in the hymns.
There’s something about some of those hymns you grew up with. Honestly.
I don’t know how true it is but this poem feels like it could hold hands with your one that took place in Cracker Barrell last year, which I still have not forgotten. So glad to see your writing again
Thank you Arwen! I appreciate that and feel that connection in tone too
love how the title’s and first stanza’s allusion to Augustine’s City of God sets up the poem’s earthly city
Thank you! So many old hymns also reference it too!
Well-crafted work, Shaun. The second stanza is so incantatory in its rhythm.
Thank you, I love you used the word “incantatory”
Had me here Shaun:
In one window, a million people sing
for the person upstairs.
wow…wow…wow
Thank you, Pam!
Gorgeous. Poignant. Full of the texture of so many memories. I love “I knit my quilt made of old songs.”
Thanks so much, Virginia!
Speechless at the beauty and mastery!! Damn, man!
Wow, thank you Sylvia!
Lovely!
Thank you RJ!
Beautiful Language in this!
Thank you Jazmine!!!
“Keeping the small, hard goodness of my kin close” – beautiful! Makes me think of my Mormon pioneer ancestors and the way I feel simultaneously so different from them and so inextricably connected to them.
Thank you so much Lisa!