RITA DOVE Postlude Stay by the hearth, little cricket. —Cendrillon You prefer me invisible, no more than a crisp salute far away from your silks and firewood and woolens. Out of sight, I’m merely an annoyance, one slim, obstinate wrinkle in night’s deepening trance. When sleep fails, you wish me shushed and back in my hole. As usual, you’re not listening: time stops only if you stop long enough to hear it passing. This is my business: I’ve got ten weeks left to croon through. What you hear is a lifetime of song.
Playlist for the Apocalypse (2021)
This poem speaks the truth of existence for so many women around the world. Well done, Rita Dove!