The Museum by Gary McDowell


All lies have basic truths in common:

buzzards’ll flat clean the vermin up

Lies always takes an adjective

Today, my son: I’m the king of circles!
Welcome to my square castle

It’s like that, this museum

This museum of gunshots and warmth as reminder,
of young lovers and chalkboards

This museum of railroad spikes
and world beers

Baking soda and vinegar when mixed

This museum of Waterloo-all-over-again,
of men who make crabapple jelly

This museum of vertigo that makes me dance

The word for “sky” is ciel
The word for “heaven” is ciel

How I hurried to tell you this

 
Editor’s Feature in TQ1: An Interview with Gary McDowell by TJ Jarrett
 

Gary L. McDowell is the author of Weeping at a Stranger’s Funeral (Dream Horse Press, forthcoming) and American Amen (Dream Horse Press, 2010) and is the co-editor of The Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Prose Poetry (Rose Metal Press, 2010). He lives in Nashville, TN.