When You Get Bad News
Take a deep breath. Then,
imagine a view of the Bay spread out before you
in wide ripples of color ranging from azure to blue liquor.
In the foreground, the beached hull of an antique vessel and,
behind that, a sky full of masts, yachts at rest in their slips.
You’re coaxing all nature to hold its breath.
Water and sky are perfect, as if painted on glass.
No news of a storm. From here to the horizon,
no squalls, no spouts catch your eye.
It’s a vista untroubled by news of any kind.
News you’ve been given just now.
*
Of David Salner’s sixth poetry collection, John Skoyles, Ploughshares poetry editor, said: “The Green Vault Heist is not only a beautiful book, it is great company.” Summer Words: New and Selected Poems also appeared in 2023. More writing appears in Threepenny Review, Ploughshares, North American Review, and Valparaiso Poetry Review. He’s worked as iron ore miner, steelworker, librarian, baseball usher.
thank you for this poem, for this news. what a beautiful invitation into being present.
Beautiful–thank you.