Istanbul Literary Review - September 2011 Edition (#21)

Vivarium

David Stanford Burr

You awake to the same crowd all around
a day like every other day so far
nestled in orchid bark while on the glass
the blue morph anole waits for the morning
misting to lap droplets off the pothos
vine, later the shakeout of young powdered
crickets rich in nutrients, a gecko
basks on driftwood below the electric
sun, and a spring peeper croaks a complaint
while you—true chameleon—shake off dreams
of salamandrine fire and the basilisk
in the corner one-eyes the blue-tongued skink.
You blend into the glass and just wait,
soon that small dark mottled anole with his
maggots will lie in the freezer, his cold
blood slowed to a stop

David Stanford Burr

USA

David Stanford Burr is a managing editor at St. Martin’s Press and a professor at New York University, where he teaches poetry writing workshops. He is the Barnes & Noble poetry series editor for poetry anthologies and the author of The Poet’s Notebook: Inspiration, Techniques, and Advice on Craft. His poems have appeared in Poetry, Barrow Street, The Kean Review, Manhattan Literary Review, Lips, and in several anthologies. David also edits poetry manuscript for major New York City book publishing companies.

Istanbul Literary Review - September 2011 Edition (#21)