J R Solonche Verse-Virtual 2018 September

September 2018

I’m professor Emeritus of English at SUNY Orange. I live in the Hudson Valley. I’ve published six poetry collections as well as extensively in magazines and anthologies.

THE PERFECT POEM

The perfect poem is not square,
although I used to think the perfect poem

would have to be square.
I probably thought that the perfect would have

to be square because I read a lot of sonnets when I was young,
which, you know, sort of look like squares.

Now I know the perfect poem is not square.
Now I know the perfect poem is a sphere.

Now I know the perfect poem is the shape of the earth
or of any other body in space whose core is molten iron.

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