Frederick Pollack: Caedmon

He writes in nail-polish
on readily available
dark screens removed from
their frames. Some are cracked
but firm. He transcribes folksongs.
(Princes hoard reams
of acid-free paper.
Release three sheets at a time
for chronicles.)
The first new poem invokes an orange.
He knows the color, rhapsodizes
the taste,
but seems to think it was a tuber.

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_{Frederick Pollack is the author of two book-length narrative poems, THE ADVENTURE and HAPPINESS (Story Line Press; the former reissued 2022 by Red Hen Press), and two collections, A POVERTY OF WORDS (Prolific Press, 2015) and LANDSCAPE WITH MUTANT (Smokestack Books, UK, 2018). Many other poems are printed in print and online journals.}