by Benjamin Sutton
winner of the Kay Murphy Prize for Poetry

issue 59

[Hymn/Radio]

First radio wave could only be stepped in once………………….
but no river. No knotted flow. No radio bulk………………….
brought in wires. An offering………………….

_
a single man through each town; a hymn written. Written is left arm for grace is hind leg
father
is shoulder blade forgiveness. Bottom bowl of his foot
…………………………………………………….overflows. Then another—each town
…………………………………………………….in song
……….by the singing. Note of stunted tree.
……….Note of traffic becoming. What is left to radio
……….bloats the house siding: mother draws out.

the words………………….
with cut-up………………….
kitchen rags………………….

*****

What is rung out is hymn. The first words
brought song
……………………………………….down into the everything else
……………………………………….sopped up. Trenches—the men dug to give it shape / brick
………….& brick & hollowed
mortar. Unsober, the devotion. Hymn sung. Hymn stringtied. A small girl held
…………………………………………………………………………………….it by the weight / named
…………………………………………………………………………………….it
_
sudden morning. Thought it sight. See a little farther then & then a little farther still. Space
of an emptied tub. Space of a thought before
……………..the next word waiting. Radio
……………………………………………………………..the girl with lockjaw
……………………………………………………………..until the words
_
& so on & so on. She the voice of hymn. The hymn comes & radios through her
like sickness. She forgets bird
…………………………………………..from bride, yet the words
_
is faceshine gratitude. Written is finger skin praise is soft ankle reverence. Inside each
of the man’s palms, a name & a name & a name

*****

Name & name the trees hollow with radio. More & more
less the forest. Less
town but hymn’s resemblance. When the hymn left / the hymn left bare,
…………..not a word
…………..recognizable. Recognizable cup of lower back
but no words. No narrow arms scripted. No flow to knot
_
Tucked between the mortar. Men approach what’s left

as if weather

_
Run the old houses……..through the same emotions. Each mile marker a bargain
……………of scaffolding. The open windows
………………………………………………………………to so much open
_
The men border
the town
not to sing for the radio
but into the radio. Not just to sing……………………but to forget the hymn
………..from memory
_
forget the girl
her way home / forget her through the door / forget her
nightly clean