SHERRY OLSON

THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

I am in love with the English language

here, where I happen to be,

rounding a curve of road

in a neighborhood, in a small town.

The houses sit back from the curb,

stately nouns, and their fancy

adjectives of porches modify

with gingerbread and grille,

the sky blue ceilings, only imagined

from the road. The lawns roll out

like active verbs or lie flat

and square-cornered as bed sheets,

while their flowers adverb raucously

in and through and against the green.

Ready to connect all the parts

of the language, the avenues wait:

Because, However, But, and Since.

And still the prepositions! Inside

someone being read to, dreaming of--

the wonderful English language

channeled up, out, into thought.

First published in TRP’s 25th Anniversary issue, Fall 2003; copyright © 2003 by Tar River Poetry.

All rights reserved.