Along with breathing’s
disregard, I’d say
for nuances.
By the time the suspension bridge
reaches the other side, time is
the extreme case if not upwards
of pure space — ya mug, whaddaya
say to a cat-fur beer along
with the questions that fly across the switchboard?
Specially wide and colorful
paths they wear out
by the light of the moon.
Charles North is the author of ten books of poems, most recently What It Is Like: New and Selected Poems (2011) and Complete Lineups (2009). The Nearness of the Way You Look Tonight (2001) was a finalist for the inaugural Phi Beta Kappa Poetry Award. He has published a collection of essays on poets, artists and critics, No Other Way (1998), and collaborative works with artists and other poets, including Translation (2014) with Paula North.