Irene Mitchell

Stars to Earth: Over

The moon went barreling by.
Next of kin, the combustible stars
(as recorded by satellite) felt honored,
while down here ancient stalagmites
caught some of that moonlight through cracks
in their dripping dens.

In our own spiffy den we lazed
with a third mint julep, as though nothing in our world
was amiss. That is what we were diligently taught.
We filled another glass with more julep than mint
and reclined with some long-playing bluegrass.

There is other music yet to be conceived,
as indicated by birds on a wire
and fingers of fire on keys and strings.

The wonder is that there are ways
to preserve it all. All factoids can
be recorded and saved via balloon.
There are thousands of starry possibilities.

How did you come to amass such a list?
Man, I flirted with it and let it fly.
Back to you.

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Irene Mitchell’s latest collection, My Report from the Uwharries, was published in 2022 by Dos Madres Press. She is the author of seven other collections including Irene Mitchell: Selected Poems (FutureCycle Press, 2021). Formerly poetry editor of Hudson River Art Magazine, Mitchell is known for her collaborations with visual artists and composers. She was a recent Associate Artist in Residence at the Atlantic Center for the Arts.

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