Selected Poems 1968-2021
R. Allen Shoaf
Table of Contents
Science
1. A Poetics of Mortality2. Arguments of the Sun 3. To Build the Best Beast 4. “… human face divine …“ 5. Balance6. The Heart of Poetry7. Cell8. Measure9. Balance10. Coming To11. What’s the Matter? 12. The Savage Garden 13. Photons 14. The Romance of Entropy15. The Wonder It Is 16. Walking to Learn17. Space 18. Quantum of the Bottom Line 19. God Does Not Play Dice20. Meiosis21. Nature, a Code22. Tears of Wine23. Water 24. Little Mouse25. Everything that Descends Must Diverge26. Sunday Morning 27. Nature Presiding28. The Second Law of Thermodynamics29. Grammar in the Empyrean30. L. U. C. A.31. Paleontology
Eros
32. Eros and Eris (“Love” and “Strife”) Are the Same Word33. No Laughing Matter34. Watch Imagination Burst35. Prospero Speaks for Prospero 36. Remedia Amoris37. Primitive Cell38. The One Embraced, Or, Freedom of the Will39. Why, After Sex, Men Disdain Women, Or Freud’s Explanation Does Not Satisfy Me 40. Broken Embraces41. Love Evolving42. Shells43. Sistine Sex 44. The Nib of the Fountain Pen with which He Wrote his First Love-Poem 45. Dr. Cyn Icks: A Rebuttal46. In Love47. The Clarity of Love in the Morning48. The Jest49. Storm50. Sweethearts 51. Ruse52. Her Body53. Just the Weather54. Ruse55. Hot to the Touch56. lingua vulgaris 57. Witness58. Hour of Lead59. Broken Parts60. Tumescent Mud61. Echoes Inside 62. Helplessness63. Kindness64. Sonnet, On Couples65. The Second Oldest Profession66. The Back Seat67. Porn in America68. Penelope to Odysseus69. Lock and Key 70. Buffy71. The Fool’s Sonnet72. The Play of Innocence 73. Nothing But Love74. Inside and Outside75. No Other Story76. Pearl
Poetry
77. Glattfelden, Switzerland78. Imagination as Listening79. A Dream of Exquisite Babelic80. “A Spell for Finding Lost Things” 81. Throwing the Old Stepladder Away82. The Semiotics of Narcosis83. Sonnets to Narcissus (A Fragment)84. The Place to Which You Can Never Return85. Sunday, in the Church Parking Lot, Next to the Railroad Bridge, Across the Street from the Furniture Factory, Where God-Fearing Folks Earned 50¢ an Hour86. One Word Only87. Weather Update 88. Hemingway at the Bar89. Opening Pages Without a Book90. A Problem of Translation 91. True92. Pied-Piper Philology93. The Pied-Piper’s Pipe94. Post-Pied-Piper Philology95. Still a Metaphor96. The Story of Orpheus and Eurydice97. Kanapaha Gardens 98. Heavy Green Curtains on a Winter’s Afternoon99. When the Poet of the Exquisite Dreams100. Plot Summary101. The Poet Replies102. The Horse’s Mane 103. Prude Prosody104. At the Lathe of Lethe105. The Poetry of Questions106. The Singularity107. Wordgathering 108. Spell109. Free Verse110. Living in Hope111. Music and the Poet112. The Broken Man 113. Jig114. Gunnar and Seamus115. The Speed of Imagination116. Standing Under Paradise117. Every Poet is Blind118. Woodworking / Wordworking 119. Point of Origin120. Cursive
Art
121. “KNOW THYSELF”122. Habitable By Man Alone123. Leonardo 124. On Mourning: Caravaggio’s “The Death of the Virgin” (1603)125. Michelangelo’s Florentine Pietà126. Sistine Sex127. Conversion 128. Looking the Other Way
Animals
129. Adaptability130. Where the Gods Do Nothing but Play131. Left Leg132. Whale Lore133. Dwellings134. Bird Bullet135. Nothing But Mouths136. The Fortune of Mammals
Science
1. A Poetics of Mortality2. Arguments of the Sun 3. To Build the Best Beast 4. “… human face divine …“ 5. Balance6. The Heart of Poetry7. Cell8. Measure9. Balance10. Coming To11. What’s the Matter? 12. The Savage Garden 13. Photons 14. The Romance of Entropy15. The Wonder It Is 16. Walking to Learn17. Space 18. Quantum of the Bottom Line 19. God Does Not Play Dice20. Meiosis21. Nature, a Code22. Tears of Wine23. Water 24. Little Mouse25. Everything that Descends Must Diverge26. Sunday Morning 27. Nature Presiding28. The Second Law of Thermodynamics29. Grammar in the Empyrean30. L. U. C. A.31. Paleontology
Eros
32. Eros and Eris (“Love” and “Strife”) Are the Same Word33. No Laughing Matter34. Watch Imagination Burst35. Prospero Speaks for Prospero 36. Remedia Amoris37. Primitive Cell38. The One Embraced, Or, Freedom of the Will39. Why, After Sex, Men Disdain Women, Or Freud’s Explanation Does Not Satisfy Me 40. Broken Embraces41. Love Evolving42. Shells43. Sistine Sex 44. The Nib of the Fountain Pen with which He Wrote his First Love-Poem 45. Dr. Cyn Icks: A Rebuttal46. In Love47. The Clarity of Love in the Morning48. The Jest49. Storm50. Sweethearts 51. Ruse52. Her Body53. Just the Weather54. Ruse55. Hot to the Touch56. lingua vulgaris 57. Witness58. Hour of Lead59. Broken Parts60. Tumescent Mud61. Echoes Inside 62. Helplessness63. Kindness64. Sonnet, On Couples65. The Second Oldest Profession66. The Back Seat67. Porn in America68. Penelope to Odysseus69. Lock and Key 70. Buffy71. The Fool’s Sonnet72. The Play of Innocence 73. Nothing But Love74. Inside and Outside75. No Other Story76. Pearl
Poetry
77. Glattfelden, Switzerland78. Imagination as Listening79. A Dream of Exquisite Babelic80. “A Spell for Finding Lost Things” 81. Throwing the Old Stepladder Away82. The Semiotics of Narcosis83. Sonnets to Narcissus (A Fragment)84. The Place to Which You Can Never Return85. Sunday, in the Church Parking Lot, Next to the Railroad Bridge, Across the Street from the Furniture Factory, Where God-Fearing Folks Earned 50¢ an Hour86. One Word Only87. Weather Update 88. Hemingway at the Bar89. Opening Pages Without a Book90. A Problem of Translation 91. True92. Pied-Piper Philology93. The Pied-Piper’s Pipe94. Post-Pied-Piper Philology95. Still a Metaphor96. The Story of Orpheus and Eurydice97. Kanapaha Gardens 98. Heavy Green Curtains on a Winter’s Afternoon99. When the Poet of the Exquisite Dreams100. Plot Summary101. The Poet Replies102. The Horse’s Mane 103. Prude Prosody104. At the Lathe of Lethe105. The Poetry of Questions106. The Singularity107. Wordgathering 108. Spell109. Free Verse110. Living in Hope111. Music and the Poet112. The Broken Man 113. Jig114. Gunnar and Seamus115. The Speed of Imagination116. Standing Under Paradise117. Every Poet is Blind118. Woodworking / Wordworking 119. Point of Origin120. Cursive
Art
121. “KNOW THYSELF”122. Habitable By Man Alone123. Leonardo 124. On Mourning: Caravaggio’s “The Death of the Virgin” (1603)125. Michelangelo’s Florentine Pietà126. Sistine Sex127. Conversion 128. Looking the Other Way
Animals
129. Adaptability130. Where the Gods Do Nothing but Play131. Left Leg132. Whale Lore133. Dwellings134. Bird Bullet135. Nothing But Mouths136. The Fortune of Mammals
137. All There Is138. Blessings of Blood139. Punctus Elevatus140. “Love has Pitched his Mansion …”141. A Question of Dogs 142. Cold Feet143. Farrier’s Ecphrasis
Politics
144. American Necropolis145. Old Southern Believer (100 Proof)146. Fiction147. How to Destroy the People148. Throwing It Away, Or Goods American149. Soldier150. Everyman the Slave151. America’s Hungry152. Men Make No Sense153. Coat-hangers154. Power’s Slavery155. Critical Race Theory156. Out of the Fable Endlessly Weeping157. Heartbeat?158. The Fall of America in Seven Limericks159. The Beast Who Evolved to Devour Want160. The Seven Medley Friends of Bread161. Try to Imagine a Woman’s Body162. COVID-19: An Ode on Viruses, Videos and Politics163. “Love is Harder than Hell” 164. The Laugh of the Cynic 165. Unclench Your Fists?166. A Story 167. To Tell the Truth 168. How Many Rounds? 169. Murdering America170. Peace of Mind 171. The Beast in Us 172. The Dentist173. Calling America Home174. Foundations of Language
History
175. Cancer176. Johann Sebastian (Sometime Christened ”Old Bach“)177. The Freedom We Felt178. All That Is Due179. The Old Mill Bookstore180. Classical Romanticism 181. “Bibleleaf”182. In her Prayers the Mistress Numbers Them All183. My Father’s Church184. In a Southern Cemetery in the 1950s185. A Progress of Dolls in the Lightner Museum186. A Plantation of the Mind187. The Bells of St. Peter Mancroft188. Heinrich189. Mangled
Philosophy
190. Longing 191. Soul192. Children Imitate193. The Problem of Other Minds194. Time’s Mastery, a Sonnet195. Against Murder 196. Want197. With the Stars198. Simple, Isn't It?199. The Way I Was Brought Up200. Language to Live In201. The Baseless Fabric202. Prospects and Coverts203. Death’s Number204. About Carbon 205. The Origin of Conscience 206. The Impertinent Question207. A Library Such as I Have Loved All My Life208. Passions Endured209. Forgetting210. Doors
Culture
211. Daedalus’s Daughter212. Sonnet: On Fear213. Daughter in Arms214. Homage to Charles Trenet215. Assay216. Curtains217. The Origin of Language218. News from Florida219. The If of Your Life220. Gene221. The Beat222. The Dream of the Road 223. Sonnet. On the 700th Anniversary of Dante’s Death224. Overpass225. In His Shoes226. “Il est propre”227. Celebrate Sondheim 228. Tender
Nature
229. Ode: On Digitalia 230. Closure 231. Conundrums 232. What We Now Call Life 233. Though Still a Beasr234. For the Rules 235. Beowulf 236. Somehow Different 237. No Tiresias She 238. The Doorbell 239. By the Waters240. Straight241. Pleasure242. It Was Mine243. Rose-Leaf Necklaces 244. Luck 245. My Father’s Knife246. The Boy in Chains247. “Pitee Renneth Soone in Gentil Herte” 248. Simple Rules249. To Sleep250. Cynics Rising 251. Bequest 252. The Word Forsaken 253. No Magic 254. Please Read 255. I Also Learned256. Gold and Lead 257. Synesthesia 258. Destinations259. Eager Boys 260. The Scandal of Rapture261. Liquor262. Odeon 263. Oak264. A History of Freckles265. A Song for my Beloved266. Black Snake267. Rodent268. Sandhill Cranes Homeward Bound269. The Reason of Rot270. Butterfly on my Breast271. The Stories Must Change272. Our Hands Are Also Wings
144. American Necropolis145. Old Southern Believer (100 Proof)146. Fiction147. How to Destroy the People148. Throwing It Away, Or Goods American149. Soldier150. Everyman the Slave151. America’s Hungry152. Men Make No Sense153. Coat-hangers154. Power’s Slavery155. Critical Race Theory156. Out of the Fable Endlessly Weeping157. Heartbeat?158. The Fall of America in Seven Limericks159. The Beast Who Evolved to Devour Want160. The Seven Medley Friends of Bread161. Try to Imagine a Woman’s Body162. COVID-19: An Ode on Viruses, Videos and Politics163. “Love is Harder than Hell” 164. The Laugh of the Cynic 165. Unclench Your Fists?166. A Story 167. To Tell the Truth 168. How Many Rounds? 169. Murdering America170. Peace of Mind 171. The Beast in Us 172. The Dentist173. Calling America Home174. Foundations of Language
History
175. Cancer176. Johann Sebastian (Sometime Christened ”Old Bach“)177. The Freedom We Felt178. All That Is Due179. The Old Mill Bookstore180. Classical Romanticism 181. “Bibleleaf”182. In her Prayers the Mistress Numbers Them All183. My Father’s Church184. In a Southern Cemetery in the 1950s185. A Progress of Dolls in the Lightner Museum186. A Plantation of the Mind187. The Bells of St. Peter Mancroft188. Heinrich189. Mangled
Philosophy
190. Longing 191. Soul192. Children Imitate193. The Problem of Other Minds194. Time’s Mastery, a Sonnet195. Against Murder 196. Want197. With the Stars198. Simple, Isn't It?199. The Way I Was Brought Up200. Language to Live In201. The Baseless Fabric202. Prospects and Coverts203. Death’s Number204. About Carbon 205. The Origin of Conscience 206. The Impertinent Question207. A Library Such as I Have Loved All My Life208. Passions Endured209. Forgetting210. Doors
Culture
211. Daedalus’s Daughter212. Sonnet: On Fear213. Daughter in Arms214. Homage to Charles Trenet215. Assay216. Curtains217. The Origin of Language218. News from Florida219. The If of Your Life220. Gene221. The Beat222. The Dream of the Road 223. Sonnet. On the 700th Anniversary of Dante’s Death224. Overpass225. In His Shoes226. “Il est propre”227. Celebrate Sondheim 228. Tender
Nature
229. Ode: On Digitalia 230. Closure 231. Conundrums 232. What We Now Call Life 233. Though Still a Beasr234. For the Rules 235. Beowulf 236. Somehow Different 237. No Tiresias She 238. The Doorbell 239. By the Waters240. Straight241. Pleasure242. It Was Mine243. Rose-Leaf Necklaces 244. Luck 245. My Father’s Knife246. The Boy in Chains247. “Pitee Renneth Soone in Gentil Herte” 248. Simple Rules249. To Sleep250. Cynics Rising 251. Bequest 252. The Word Forsaken 253. No Magic 254. Please Read 255. I Also Learned256. Gold and Lead 257. Synesthesia 258. Destinations259. Eager Boys 260. The Scandal of Rapture261. Liquor262. Odeon 263. Oak264. A History of Freckles265. A Song for my Beloved266. Black Snake267. Rodent268. Sandhill Cranes Homeward Bound269. The Reason of Rot270. Butterfly on my Breast271. The Stories Must Change272. Our Hands Are Also Wings