La Vie Littéraire by Richard Tillinghast

Surly, unambitious
the flies languidly
loop the loop near the porch ceiling
It is what passes for
Spring here

Picturing
my wife at work
her arm inside the glass case
reaching for pastries
the customers point to

I push back the afternoon’s responsibilities
mend a screen
Anything
to make her think
I haven’t lolled the day
away
watching tv
doing the crosswords.

From: https://newleftreview.org/I/35/richard-tillinghast-poems

Date: 1966

By: Richard Tillinghast (1940- )