In Moving Around What Is Certified You Seem To Find Some Photograph You’d Forgotten

bianca rae messinger

the front matter, meaning not exactly able to feel it –
and yet one could call it happiness and rather
fall into morning – you now walking on grass
as if moving beneath her at the same time – gliding
and what else is there – yellow white and purple
whose flag is that? must be someone’s – when is it over
it’s not low water it’s just the opposite – but no
mention of it.

The Far Side Of A Barn

bianca rae messinger

leutenaint worf’s child is dead at
33 and it’s 3 degrees in cleveland –
as in i didn’t have the heart to visit
you – it’s been freezing all week and
who is there to save me – nothing
is in the trees you couldn’t see
me when i wanted to and when you
wanted to, i’ve kept some flowers
in a glass for you, we are in a
hospital they come by sometimes it’s
near the house and you can walk there
when it’s warm – it’s not.
where is willamette? who will
grow my revolutionary tomatoes when
it’s warm? i can’t quite see where
this is heading – as i can’t see
you right now. there will be some
time some leaves hang over the window –
you have to stop.

and never again, maureen. i’ll
see you on the next side, on the
far side of a barn on the tall side
of the river where we still have
structures we have the right structures
and we can have each
other and the inside doesn’t seem
so bad anymore and we’ll go swimming
in the lake and it’s grey in june [is the same sound].

BIANCA RAE MESSINGER is a translator and poet living in Iowa City, IA. She is the author of the digital chapbook The Love of God (Inpatient Press, 2016) and The Land Was V There (89+/LUMA, 2014). Her translation of Juana Isola’s chapbook You Need a Long Table... was published by Monster House Press in 2018. In the Jungle There Is Much to Do, her translation of a children’s book by Uruguayan anarchist Mauricio Gatti, was published by the Berlin Bienniale for Contemporary Art in 2019. She currently teaches creative writing at the University of Iowa.

Originally published August 2020 in poiesis 1.2: syzygy by w the trees.