Rae Armantrout

Rae Armantrout’s book Just Saying was published this year by Wesleyan. A new book, Itself, will appear from Wesleyan next year. Armantrout teaches at UC San Diego.

Fundamentals

Why is it that
for it

to be in-
finitely large 

is terrific,
but to be

infinitely small
is just

unthinkable?

The thought
of a smaller

bit inside
each bit 

goes nowhere
still

has symmetry
going on

and on 
about it.

Then there's our model
in which

the fundamentals
are sound, 

impenetrable nubs

Afterlife

No longer needing sustenance,
butterflies
go batty around the flowers.


     *

You call that nice?

I call it haiku.

Sugared tea.


    2

Poisoned on the job,
the mad hatter becomes
a bit of nonsense
in a story
for lucky children.