The Origin of the World

The Origin of the World

after Courbet’s L’origine du mond

You’ve never

done something so simple, so obvious,

                                                                Philip Levine

                                                                “What Works”

the beauty is that it is

supposed supposed! to be

burned.  imagine a lodge pole

pine cone so tight only fire

will try the edges will pry

with the opposites of ice

(and by now the hem end’s

down by now there’s fray

and chafing)

but a pry like I’ve

never seen -- a fire so alive

it is more

than eyes it is more

than tongue though

you’re right yes it starts

there as a curl a shy first

turn of the dervish before God

takes hold and blows

and blows and settles curl

deep into the canopy

to wake the future to make

the future drop

to the mesa’s table to the waist

to the skirts (they’re open!

don’t be scandalized!) we’ve

all seen L’Origine

du mond or at least heard

the news dresses

to be spread so the cracking

letting loose

can be done with a sigh only

the desperately pent up

could recognize come alive

fall into the dying

roots of the pine and like

the smile I mean really

like the smile of the parting

pond taking the rock after it

has gone through

with almost no hoorah

cutting the water

in a throaty cheeks drawn

breath drawn cshhug!

the ripples drenched in

cinders drenched red wet