A Countdown in Poems to the Irish Arts Center PoetryFest

For the next two days Literary Hub will help in counting down the days until the seventh-annual Irish Arts Center PoetryFest begins by publishing a poem, as selected by festival co-curator Belinda McKeon. 

 

Dear God, by Alicia Ostriker

 

It used to be

I would fall to the floor and press my forehead to it

in moments of despair

 

I would say help me

help me

 

but listen

I am ok

though I just now found myself pressing my forehead

to the carpet of my stairs

 

about the waters in the flooded cities

poisoned by oil spills, chemicals, the dead

about the survivors forever traumatized

dear god

I am alive I am alive

help them

 

Literary Hub is a proud sponsor of Irish Arts Center PoetryFest.

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