OCEAN INTERSTICE

Chicago Review, Winter 2009 by Hartigan, Endi Bogue

for Patrick, December 24, 2007

to the right of the carriage, the white-capped ocean

to the left often years, the ocean starts

to the right of us, the delphinium stem in the heart

to the left of delphinium blue, a crack in the windshield

to the right often years, the historical fact of the sea

in the center of the sea, the counting of years

to the left of the sea, the immaterial carriage

to the left of the carriage, the chorus carrying us

to the left of the chorus, the chorused-to

to the right often years, delphinium blue

to the left and the middle, love carrying me over glass

to the right of the glass, did I carry you?

to the left often years, did I carry you?

to the right and the middle, the marriage of sands

to the left in the center near the stem

in the center of the sea, nine months apart

to the left of nine months, the counting of sands

in the center, the ribs, the carriage of the heat

to the right near the center, the carriage and the heat

to the counting of years, did I carry you?

to the right of the carriage, delphinium blue

to the left of the cracked-glass carriage, where was the chorus?

to the right of our sleep, were you carrying me?

to the counting of years, the historical mass of the sea

to the left near the center, the carriage's heat

to the left of the heat, the parting of the carriage

to the right of the counting of sands, more than this

to the left in the center near the stem

to the counting of years, love carrying us

to the right of our arms, the discarded gowns of the chorus

to the left of the sounds often years, the chorused-to

to the right, through veined glass, delphinium blue

Endi Bogue Hartigen's first book One Sun Storm was selected for the 2008 Colorado Prize for Poetry. Her work has recendy appeared in Free Verse, Quarterly West, TinFish, and Gulf Coast. The sekction here is from a recent manuscript, Chorus Interstice. She lives in Pordand, Oregon, with her husband and son.