Poem for Friends

Matthew Rohrer

On someone else’s estaterunning through it to avoidthe outdoor wedding there is a gravein a little copse of treesso panting we hang out thereHow beautiful to lie downnot to be the dead ones theretheir eye sockets filled with dirtnothing is theirs anymoreyou pass me a crumpled jointswaying a little like a poemwhile black birds wail in the airand the commuter train wailsall we have to do is make tacostonight and be friends

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  • What Sparks Poetry

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Black-and-white photograph of Matthew Rohrer giving a reading

Matthew Rohrer is the author of 11 books of poems, most recently ARMY OF GIANTS, published by Wave Books. He was a co-founder of Fence Magazine and teaches writing at New York University.

Color cover image for the issue of Poetry in which Matthew Rohrer's poem, Poem for Friends, first appeared

Poetry

June 2024

Chicago, Illinois

Editor
Adrian Matejka

Creative Director and Exhibitions Co-curator
Fred Sasaki

Senior Editor
Lindsay Garbutt

Associate Editor
Holly Amos

Associate Editor
Angela Flores

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Founded in Chicago by Harriet Monroe in 1912, Poetry is the oldest monthly devoted to verse in the English-speaking world. Harriet Monroe’s “Open Door” policy, set forth in Volume I of the magazine, remains the most succinct statement of Poetry’s mission: to print the best poetry written today, in whatever style, genre, or approach.

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