TableofContents

Love at First Sight by Wislawa Szymborska....................................2

Tonight I Can Write The Saddest Lines by Pablo Neruda..................3
Love After Love by Derek Walcott..................................................4
If by Rudyard Kipling....................................................................4
Pluto Shits on the Universe by Fatimah Asghar...............................5
40 - Love by Roger McGough.........................................................6
Swan and Shadow by John Hollander.............................................7
Madam and the Phone Bill by Langston Hughes..............................7
Ah Mah by Shirley Geok Lin-Lim.....................................................9
SONNET 130 by William Shakespeare...........................................10
Aunt Jennifer's Tigers by Adrienne Rich........................................10
LoveatFirstSightbyWislawaSzymborska

Theyrebothconvinced
thatasuddenpassionjoinedthem.
Suchcertaintyisbeautiful,
butuncertaintyismorebeautifulstill.

Sincetheydnevermetbefore,theyresure
thattheredbeennothingbetweenthem.
Butwhatsthewordfromthestreets,staircases,hallways
perhapstheyvepassedbyeachotheramilliontimes?

Iwanttoaskthem
iftheydontremember
amomentfacetoface
insomerevolvingdoor?
perhapsasorrymutteredinacrowd?
acurtwrongnumbercaughtinthereceiver?
butIknowtheanswer.
No,theydontremember.

Theydbeamazedtohear
thatChancehasbeentoyingwiththem
nowforyears.

Notquitereadyyet
tobecometheirDestiny,
itpushedthemclose,drovethemapart,
itbarredtheirpath,
stiflingalaugh,
andthenleapedaside.

Thereweresignsandsignals,
eveniftheycouldntreadthemyet.
Perhapsthreeyearsago
orjustlastTuesday
acertainleaffluttered
fromoneshouldertoanother?
Somethingwasdroppedandthenpickedup.
Whoknows,maybetheballthatvanished
intochildhoodsthicket?

Thereweredoorknobsanddoorbells
whereonetouchhadcoveredanother
beforehand.
Suitcasescheckedandstandingsidebyside.
Onenight,perhaps,thesamedream,
grownhazybymorning.

Everybeginning
isonlyasequel,afterall,
andthebookofevents
isalwaysopenhalfwaythrough.

TonightICanWriteTheSaddestLinesbyPabloNeruda

TonightIcanwritethesaddestlines.

Write,forexample,'Thenightisshattered
andthebluestarsshiverinthedistance.'

Thenightwindrevolvesintheskyandsings.

TonightIcanwritethesaddestlines.
Ilovedher,andsometimesshelovedmetoo.

ThroughnightslikethisoneIheldherinmyarms
Ikissedheragainandagainundertheendlesssky.

Shelovedmesometimes,andIlovedhertoo.
Howcouldonenothavelovedhergreatstilleyes.

TonightIcanwritethesaddestlines.
TothinkthatIdonothaveher.TofeelthatIhavelosther.

Toheartheimmensenight,stillmoreimmensewithouther.
Andtheversefallstothesoullikedewtothepasture.

Whatdoesitmatterthatmylovecouldnotkeepher.
Thenightisshatteredandsheisnotwithme.

Thisisall.Inthedistancesomeoneissinging.Inthedistance.
Mysoulisnotsatisfiedthatithaslosther.

Mysightsearchesforherasthoughtogotoher.
Myheartlooksforher,andsheisnotwithme.

Thesamenightwhiteningthesametrees.
We,ofthattime,arenolongerthesame.

Inolongerloveher,that'scertain,buthowIlovedher.
Myvoicetriedtofindthewindtotouchherhearing.
Another's.Shewillbeanother's.Likemykissesbefore.
Hervoide.Herbrightbody.Herinifiniteeyes.

Inolongerloveher,that'scertain,butmaybeIloveher.
Loveissoshort,forgettingissolong.

BecausethroughnightslikethisoneIheldherinmyarms
mysouldisnotsatisfiedthatithaslosther.

Thoughthisbethelastpainthatshemakesmesuffer
andthesethelastversesthatIwriteforher.

LoveAfterLovebyDerekWalcott

Thetimewillcome
when,withelation
youwillgreetyourselfarriving
atyourowndoor,inyourownmirror
andeachwillsmileattheother'swelcome,

andsay,sithere.Eat.
Youwillloveagainthestrangerwhowasyourself.
Givewine.Givebread.Givebackyourheart
toitself,tothestrangerwhohaslovedyou

allyourlife,whomyouignored
foranother,whoknowsyoubyheart.
Takedownthelovelettersfromthebookshelf,

thephotographs,thedesperatenotes,
peelyourownimagefromthemirror.
Sit.Feastonyourlife.

IfbyRudyardKipling

Ifyoucankeepyourheadwhenallaboutyou
Arelosingtheirsandblamingitonyou;
Ifyoucantrustyourselfwhenallmendoubtyou,
Butmakeallowancefortheirdoubtingtoo;
Ifyoucanwaitandnotbetiredbywaiting,
Or,beingliedabout,dontdealinlies,
Or,beinghated,dontgivewaytohating,
Andyetdontlooktoogood,nortalktoowise;

Ifyoucandreamandnotmakedreamsyourmaster;
Ifyoucanthinkandnotmakethoughtsyouraim;
Ifyoucanmeetwithtriumphanddisaster
Andtreatthosetwoimpostorsjustthesame;
Ifyoucanbeartohearthetruthyouvespoken
Twistedbyknavestomakeatrapforfools,
Orwatchthethingsyougaveyourlifetobroken,
Andstoopandbuildemupwithwornouttools;

Ifyoucanmakeoneheapofallyourwinnings
Andriskitononeturnofpitchandtoss,
Andlose,andstartagainatyourbeginnings
Andneverbreatheawordaboutyourloss;
Ifyoucanforceyourheartandnerveandsinew
Toserveyourturnlongaftertheyaregone,
Andsoholdonwhenthereisnothinginyou
ExcepttheWillwhichsaystothem:Holdon;

Ifyoucantalkwithcrowdsandkeepyourvirtue,
Orwalkwithkingsnorlosethecommontouch;
Ifneitherfoesnorlovingfriendscanhurtyou;
Ifallmencountwithyou,butnonetoomuch;
Ifyoucanfilltheunforgivingminute
Withsixtysecondsworthofdistancerun
YoursistheEarthandeverythingthatsinit,
AndwhichismoreyoullbeaMan,myson!

PlutoShitsontheUniversebyFatimahAsghar

OnFebruary7,1979,PlutocrossedoverNeptunesorbitandbecametheeighthplanetfromthesunfor
twentyyears.Astudyin1988determinedthatPlutospathoforbitcouldneverbeaccuratelypredicted.
Labeledaschaotic,Plutowaslaterdiscreditedfromplanetstatusin2006.

Today,Ibrokeyoursolarsystem.Oops.
Mybad.YourgraphsaidIwassupposed
tomakeanicelittlelooparoundthesun.

Naw.

Ichaoslikeamotherfucker.Aintnoonecan
chartme.Alltheotherplanets,theythink
Imannoying.TheythinkImanescaped
moon,runningfree.

Fuckyourmoon.Fuckyoursolarsystem.
Fuckyourtime.Youryear?Youryearaint
shitbutadaytome.Icouldspendyour
wholeyearturningthewindsinmybed.Thinking
aboutringsandhowJupitershouldjustpussy
onupandmarrymebynow.Yourday?

Thatsanasswipe.Asniffle.Yourwholeday
isbarelythestartofmysunset.

Mynamemeanshell,bitch.Iamhell,bitch.Allthecold
youhaveyettofeel.Chaoslikeamotherfucker.
Andyoutriedtoorderme.Calledmeninth.
Somewhereinthemessofgraphsandmathandcompass
youtriedtomakemefollowrules.Rules?Fuckyour
rules.Neptune,thatbitchslow.AndIdeserveallthesun
Icanget,andallthebluegoldskyIwantaroundme.

ItisFebruary7th,1979andmyskinismore
copperthananyskywilleverbe.Moremetal.
Neptuneisbitchsobbinginmyrearview,
andIgotmyrunningshoesonandallthisskythatsallmine.

Fuckyourorder.Fuckyourtime.Irealignedthecosmos.
Ichaosedallthehellyouhaveyettofeel.Nowallyourkids
intheclassrooms,theyconfused.Alltheirclocks:
wrong.Theydontevenknowwhatthefucktodo.
Theygottamemorizenewsongsandshit.Andtheother
planets,Ifuckedtheirorbits.Ishookthesky.Chaoslike
amotherfucker.

ItisFebruary7th,1979.Theskyisbluegold:
thefreedomofpossibility.

Today,Ibrokeyoursolarsystem.Oops.Mybad.

40LovebyRogerMcGough

middleaged
coupleplaying
tennis
whenthe
gameends
andthey
gohome
thenet
willstill
bebe
tweenthem
SwanandShadowbyJohnHollander

Dusk
Abovethe
waterhangthe
loud
flies
Here
Oso
gray
then
WhatApalesignalwillappear
WhenSoonbeforeitsshadowfades
WhereHereinthispoolofopenedeye
InusNoUponusAsattheveryedges
ofwherewetakeshapeinthedarkair
thisobjectbaresitsimageawakening
ripplesofrecognitionthatwill
brushdarknessupintolight
evenafterthisbirdthishourbothdriftbyatoptheperfectsadinstantnow
alreadypassingoutofsight
towardyetuntroubledreflection
thisimagebearsitsobjectdarkening
intomemorialshadesScatteredbitsof
lightNoofwaterOrsomethingacross
waterBreakingupNoBeingregathered
soonYetbythenaswanwillhave
goneYesoutofmindintowhat
vast
pale
hush
ofa
place
past
suddendarkas
ifaswan
sang

MadamandthePhoneBillbyLangstonHughes

YousayIO.K.ed
LONGDISTANCE?
O.K.editwhen?
Mygoodness,Central
Thatwasthen!

Immadanddisgusted
WiththatNegronow.
IdontpaynoREVERSED
CHARGESnohow.

Yousay,Iwillpayit
Elseyoulltakeoutmyphone?
Youbetterlet
Myphonealone.

Ididntaskhim
Totelephoneme.
Roscoeknowsdarnwell
LONGDISTANCE
Aintfree.

IfIevercatchhim,
Lawd,havepity!
Callingmeup
FromKansasCity.

Justtosayhelovesme!
Iknowedthatwasso.
Whydidnthetellmesomen
Idontknow?

Forinstance,whatcan
Themothergirlsdo
ThatAlbertaK.Johnson
Cantdoandmore,too?

Whatsthat,Central?
Yousayyoudontcare
Nothingaboutmy
Privateaffair?

Well,evenlessaboutyour
PHONEBILL,doesIcare!

Unhummm!...Yes!
YousayIgavemyO.K.?
Well,thatO.K.youmaykeep

ButIsureaintgonnapay!

AhMahbyShirleyGeokLinLim

Grandmotherwassmaller
thanmeateight.Hadshe
beenchildforever?

Helpless,hopeless,chinsharp
asaknuckle,fanface
hardlyhalfopened,notascrap

offatanywhere,shetottered
inblacksilk,leaningon
handmaids,ontwotortured

fins.Atsixty,hissonsall
married,grandfatherboughther,
Soochowflowersonggirl.

Everyboneinherfeet
hadbeenbroken,boundtighter
thananyneighborssweet

daughters.Tentoesandinstep
curledinwards,yellowpetals
ofchrysanthemum,wrapped

ingoldcloth.Heboughttheyoung
face,smallknobbybreasts
hesworehednotdressinsarong
ofmaternity.Eachnight
heheldherfeetinhispalms,
likelotusinthetight
hollowsofcelestiallakes.
Inhiscallousedflesh,her
weightlesssoles,coolandslack,

clenchedinhisstrangersfever.

SONNET130byWilliamShakespeare

Mymistress'eyesarenothinglikethesun;
Coralisfarmoreredthanherlips'red;
Ifsnowbewhite,whythenherbreastsaredun;
Ifhairsbewires,blackwiresgrowonherhead.
Ihaveseenrosesdamask'd,redandwhite,
ButnosuchrosesseeIinhercheeks;
Andinsomeperfumesistheremoredelight
Thaninthebreaththatfrommymistressreeks.
Ilovetohearherspeak,yetwellIknow
Thatmusichathafarmorepleasingsound;
IgrantIneversawagoddessgo;
Mymistress,whenshewalks,treadsontheground:
Andyet,byheaven,Ithinkmyloveasrare
Asanyshebeliedwithfalsecompare.

AuntJennifer'sTigersbyAdrienneRich

AuntJennifer'stigerspranceacrossascreen,
Brighttopazdenizensofaworldofgreen.
Theydonotfearthemenbeneaththetree;
Theypaceinsleekchivalriccertainty.

AuntJennifer'sfingerflutteringthroughherwool
Findeventheivoryneedlehardtopull.
ThemassiveweightofUncle'sweddingband
SitsheavilyuponAuntJennifer'shand.

WhenAuntisdead,herterrifiedhandswilllie
Stillringedwithordealsshewasmasteredby.
Thetigersinthepanelthatshemade
Willgoonprancing,proudandunafraid.