Magical Materialism

Kathryn Kopple

I’m spread out in front of the television watching Nature in high definition. There’s something heroic and tragic about the swishing lizard, the way it risks a dune, the tiny sawing tail erasing its footprints. A blur. I should really call the occultist. Instead, I’ve spent all day collecting empty bottles to string up as makeshift wind chimes—now I’ve decided to consign them all to the trash. If I had a new prescription, I could search the Yellow Pages. Instead, it too goes into the bin. It’s not as if I don’t see the problem. Surely, I mean oculist. Surely, I don’t mean, a second kind of sight is what is needed here.


Kathryn A. Kopple is a translator and writer who works in English and Spanish. She has published poetry in The Threepenny Review, Bellevue Literary Review and Construction. She is also the author of Little Velásquez, a novel set in 15th century Spain.

Comments

  1. Carol Ciavonne says

    Love this. My daughter used to say about Nature programs: “…And only ONE survived.” Definitely need an occultist.

  2. Tracy Strauss says

    Not only does this poem create an imprint in my mind, but it’s a tour de force. I love the way the poet takes us from start to finish.

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