Thursday, March 26, 2020

Flickering by Susan Tepper


Some are built for love
count that 3 ways, Mister—
And nice of you
unlocking the back door
letting me blow in 
with the end of winter
the desiccated leaves, stars
half-lit in preparation.
You must’ve sensed 
a nearby straggler
the single candle
flickering on the bar
A huge relief— hair’s
a mess and thanks twice
for the generous pour and
saying you appreciate 
the company— 
A thousand lifetimes, this, 
though I keep it to myself,
drink slowly, a running stream
that dumps in an ocean
no larger than a tack.





Susan Tepper is the author of eight published books of fiction and poetry. Her most recent book just out in June is a road novel titled “What Drives Men.” It was shortlisted at American Book Fest Best Book Awards. Other honors and awards include eighteen Pushcart Nominations, a Pulitzer Prize Nomination for the novel “What May Have Been” (Cervena Barva Press, and currently being adapted for the stage), NPR’s Selected Shorts Series, Second Place Winner in Story/South Million Writers Award, Best Story of 17 Years of Vestal Review, Shortlisted 7th in the Zoetrope Novel Contest (2003), Best of the Net and more. Tepper is a native New Yorker.

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