Friday's Poem

Dedication

Scrape the sun from the wall of the sky.
Cast the great nets of autumn over the houses.
Even the throat of the lily is a dangerous inlet.

Let the world stand wearily on the stoop of the jail
of the world and the light of the mind, that small lamp,
pearl of shine, let the night come to it, as iron filings to a magnet,
mother.

Lynn Emanuel is the author of three previous poetry collections: Hotel Fiesta; The Dig; and Then, Suddenly-. Her work has been included in the Pushcart Prize anthology, Best American Poetry, and The Oxford Book of American Poetry. Emanuel is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Eric Matthieu King Award from The Academy of American Poets, two National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships, and a National Poetry Series Award. She is professor of English at the University of Pittsburgh.