Arctic Wolf
—for three fine people
I
I told her I did not
Have a copy of All Things Must Pass
She found out I loved pretzels
When she came over my house
To visit,
She brought the boxed set of three albums
New, from the Record Exchange
A plastic coffer
Full of long pretzel sticks
II
After all these years
She held nothing against me
Shipped me a copy of a Pulitzer Prize winning
Short story collection
I read Interpreter of Maladies
Crafted a short story myself
After the stylistic aroma I gleaned
From Jhumpa Lahiri
III
She looked after my interest
Made suggestions where they seemed to fit
Burned me First Light CDs
Sent a Colin Hay video link
The frontman of Men at Work
Now a seasoned singer-songwriter
IV
I do not know
What I hold against love
I could not give any of the three
My heart, not for too long
Or in the way that was needed, or proper
Maybe it is true
I am an Arctic Wolf
Seven of them, in a dream
A scene in blue light, heaven, I gathered
They nipped at me playfully
I was blissful
A creature, happiest when alone
Like each one of them
I had found my pack
by Marc Steven Mannheimer