The Atlantic | January/February 2003 | Discretion

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More on poetry from The Atlantic Monthly.

Also by Robert Wrigley:
Winter Bale (2001)
Highway 12, Just East of Paradise, Idaho (2001)
Other World (2001)

The Atlantic Monthly | January/February 2003

Discretion

by Robert Wrigley

.....

Hear the author read this poem (in RealAudio)

Wearing only moonglow
     and the fire's shawls
of final smoke, she made her way from the tent
     at 2:00 A.M., then squatted to pee,

and the heavenly light showed me everything:
     its cool tongues of silver lapping mountain
stones and the never-motionless leaves
     of aspens, licking her back, her hips,

haunches, and more, illuminating even the deep
     green eyes of whatever animal it was
that watched her from the forest then—
     a deer, I believed, and still believe,

though I confess I did not rise that night
     to make sure, did not shine my light or murmur
but waited until she returned,
     letting my head settle slowly back

down to the pillow made of my clothes
     and welcomed her shivering
back into the tent, from which
     I had sworn I would not look.

What do you think? Discuss this article in the Books & Literature conference of Post & Riposte.

Robert Wrigley teaches at the University of Idaho. This poem is part of a collection called Lives of the Animals, to be published next October.

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