The American Poetry Review

KIDS’ STUFF

She came in // about one pm // on a Monday // she had a gun //In math class //they got the memo // is a scary word //only if you’ve neverdone it //I ask themjust that //but there’s another classification: //“lock-and-hide” //that’s when you’reallowed to start wigging out //silently //keep the kids silent too //that’s the hard part

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The American Poetry Review

The American Poetry Review34 min read
END OF MESSAGE On Norman Dubie
1. “Are you by your machine?” he says. “Yeah, I’m here.” I turn the phone on speaker, set it on my desk, open a Word doc. By “machine”—I know by now—he just means computer. I don’t think I ever hear him say that word: Computer. I know he did, once, w
The American Poetry Review12 min read
The Dark Whispers
i. We ride horses in the slowly-falling snowand you tell me it is Summer, it is warm,and I don’t quite believe you, but I love you,so I go along with the oddly humorous deception. My mother says “Love is blind”and “Hindsight is 20/20,” but it doesn’t
The American Poetry Review2 min read
Six Poems
a golden shovel after Richard Wright To realize a girl blossoming is to figure purpleas disquiet. A flower forgotten (even an artichoke)if only to safekeep. In time, the daughter becomes agranddaughter budding in the darkof the mind’s cupboard. a gol

Related Books & Audiobooks