"God's Justice" by Anne Carson

dragonfly art by marion

God’s Justice

By Anne Carson

In the beginning there were days set aside for various tasks.
On the day He was to create justice
God got involved in making a dragonfly

and lost track of time.
It was about two inches long
with turquoise dots all down its back like Lauren Bacall.

God watched it bend its tiny wire elbows
as it set about cleaning the transparent case of its head.
The eye globes mounted on the case

rotated this way and that
as it polished every angle.
Inside the case

which was glassy black like the windows of a downtown bank
God could see the machinery humming
and He watched the hum

travel all the way down turquoise dots to the end of the tail
and breathe off as light.
Its black wings vibrated in and out.

From: “Glass, Irony and God” page 49

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I've posted this poem before and probably will again.  Every time I pick up this book, it turns itself to the page with this poem.  Ms. Carson is an amazing poet and I'm glad to have discovered her in the last few years.



God's Justice by Anne Carson

November, 2009 Dragonfly by Marion

God’s Justice
By Anne Carson

In the beginning there were days set aside for various tasks.
On the day He was to create justice
God got involved in making a dragonfly

and lost track of time.
It was about two inches long
with turquoise dots all down its back like Lauren Bacall.

God watched it bend its tiny wire elbows
as it set about cleaning the transparent case of its head.
The eye globes mounted on the case

rotated this way and that
as it polished every angle.
Inside the case

which was glassy black like the windows of a downtown bank
God could see the machinery humming
and He watched the hum

travel all the way down turquoise dots to the end of the tail
and breathe off as light.
Its black wings vibrated in and out.

From: “Glass, Irony and God” page 49

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This entire book is purely amazing.  I wish I could buy a copy for everyone I know.  I got it today and read it straight through.  If you love poetry, you must own this book.  (I discovered Ms. Carson through Dorianne Laux's poem, "Mugged By Poetry".)  Reading poetry leads to buying more poetry.  :-)

~Marion

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