And though I say here sorrow beguiles me
I lose no sleep;
and though I say our country’s journey is one long rigmarole
its villages and ridges are succulent and sweet;
and though I say here “Watch me now! Watch me!”
truly I’m shy as stage curtains, demure as tiny cups of espresso;
and though I quote Wordsworth, Zagajewski, and Dao
I come from gunshots and beatdowns, raw and dirty:
The day was mild, the light was generous;
and though I’ve said in the past: I wear / September on my face, /
which is eternal, I treasure, too, June mornings soaked
in song, July’s fevered cauldron wilting us like seared spinach;
Points of Clarification
Major Jackson
Major Jackson is the author of six books of poetry, most recently Razzle Dazzle: New and Selected Poems. He teaches at Vanderbilt University and serves as the host of the podcast The Slowdown.