Poem a Day: New and classic poems provided by the Academy of American Poets
Put Down that TV Tray
Sina Queyras
All I ever wanted was that living room, Sunday evening, chicken
In the roaster, that deep orange sofa, that maple table
Spread out like a wagon wheel upon which cups of tea floated
And macrame or puzzles could be assembled. Don’t tell me
Disney isn’t reality: whole cities have ticked by in nylon print
T-shirts, under lithographs of the Blue Boy in plastic K-Mart frames.
Poets, don’t let your poems grow up to be idealists. I want in.
I agree we need to rethink everything from landfills to the accumulation
Of fat around the heart, but there really is nothing like a castle
Under a neon moon ringed with LED flowers. Also, dogs do
Find their way home, and while beds can’t fly you can wake
From a good trip around the Internet and be hungry for a Pop-Tart.
Don’t say you can’t, or won’t, or that my dream is flimsy: there is nothing
Less thrilling than a critique of others, how they do or do not, twirl.
About this poem: “This poem, perhaps the clearest one I have ever written, is from a manuscript in progress titled ‘Motherhood is a Young Woman’s Game.’ Having twins has made me reassess everything.” – Sina Queyras
About Sina Queyras: Sina Queyras is the author of “MxT” (Coach House Books, 2014). She lives in Montreal and teaches creative writing at Concordia University.
The Academy of American Poets is a nonprofit, mission-driven organization, whose aim is to make poetry available to a wider audience. Email The Academy at poem-a-day@poets.org.
(c) 2014 Sina Queyras
Distributed by King Features Syndicate
