POETRY EDITOR Ananya S Guha’s note:

Robin Wyatt Dunn‘s poems are marked by brevity. The images are abstract and the poise esoteric. Yet at every point there is rhythm, which maintains a distinct harmony and balance  in his poems. He is an abject word teaser emphasising on a meticulous craft. Read his poems for the sheer finery of poetry, no verbosity,  no extra jibe, but a distilled expression of true poetry. Thoroughly enjoyable- at the same time a seriousness which cannot be overlooked.

—

6 billion writers

spilling ink

all over their clothes

in the laundry

in the sack

in the breeze

on the telephone line

 

 my love

~

 

bend low

chew the grain

send my love

into the sky

 

my eye follows you

even when I’m asleep

~

 

burn me

and be

broke under me the way you used to do

 

or maybe that’s a lie

and all befores don’t matter now:

 

burn me and break the skin

I’ll begin then

with the sin of my shout:

~

 

fish again

 

beat me and go

I found the earth below

your thought

I found someone like grendel in the basement

some terminal handle on the device of Man:

 

beat me and go

I break better than a stone

I break slow

(like music)

 

like a ruse you learned as a child and will relearn again

every year now, till we’re done:

 

the fun is in the stun-gun of your love

use it slow

and remember how well I love you:

~

 

dream readily and in the face of silent dins the earth

the rich rewards of truth can sound like lies

me eyes it’s yours the burning worth of your endurance to our end

 

bending right and then

the terrible spell

 

turn in and out

doubt my hand

break stand and shout

 

levitate the Indus

in your mouth

 

water’s fine

~ 

 

Enliven me

all alone

break broke beating slow

my own

 

this poem reeks of ardor

murderous

 

my all my own

poet grows alone

patiently

 

waiting

for oceans

 

for the hue of the ocean

blue inside

—

Robin Wyatt Dunn writes and teaches in Los Angeles.