Apology for Want Middlebury/Bread Loaf title: Book author: Bang, Mary Jo. publisher: University Press of New England isbn10 | asin: 0874518229 print isbn13: 9780874518221 ebook isbn13: 9780585275673 language: English subject American poetry. publication date: 1997 lcc: PS3552.A4A84 1997eb ddc: 811/.54 subject: American poetry. Page i Apology for Want Page ii The Bakeless Literary Publication Prizes are sponsored by the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference of Middlebury College to support the publication of first books. The manuscripts are selected through an open competition and are published by University Press of New England/Middlebury College Press. 1996 Competition Winners Poetry Mary Jo Bang, Apology for Want : Edward Hirsch JUDGE Fiction Katherine L. Hester, Eggs for Young America : Francine Prose JUDGE Page iii Apology for Want Mary Jo Bang Page iv Middlebury College Press Published by University Press of New England, Hanover, NH 03755 © 1997 by Mary Jo Bang All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America 5 4 3 2 CIP data appear at the end of the book Acknowledgments: Grateful acknowledgment is made to the editors of the following publications: Colorado Review: "Nonesuch," "In This Business of Touch and Be Touched," ''Reign of Unreason"; Denver Quarterly: "The Oracle"; The Gettysburg Review: "Renunciation of Dreams and Such"; Indiana Review: "How to Leave a Prairie"; The Journal: "Where Snow Falls," "Real Time"; The Nation: "Gretel," "Waking in Antibes," "Pilgrimage"; New American Writing: "What Was Seen," "The Desert on Hand"; The Paris Review: "& There He Kept Her Very Well," "Electra Dreams," "If Wishes Were Horses," "No Talking"; Partisan Review: "Chicago"; Salmagundi: "From a New Place"; Shenandoah: "Elegy"; Southwest Review: "Granite City, Montana"; and Witness: "Café Edgar." "Where Snow Falls" was reprinted in the 1995/1996 Anthology of Magazine Verse Yearbook of American Poetry. Thanks to the many who read and commented on these poems. Especially to Lucie Brock-Broido. And Timothy Donnelly. And forever to Edward Hirsch. "Pilgrimage" is dedicated to Karen Kreutzinger. "A Goddess Shakes Spring Awake" is for Timothy Donnelly. "Like Spiders, Step by Step" is for Kymberly Taylor. "How to Leave a Prairie" is for Susan Lee Smith. "From a New Place" is for Catherine Sherer. "Twilight Amnesia" is for Gary R. Bang, Jr. Page v for Michael and Rusty and Gary Page vii CONTENTS I Waking in Antibes 3 The Desert on Hand 5 Pilgrimage 6 Real Time 8 The Oracle 9 Granite City, Montana 10 Apology for Want 11 Chicago 12 Elegy 13 Gretel 14 A Screen Door Slams 16 In Order Not to Be Eten Nor All to Torne 18 II The First Room Is a Woman 21 Open Heart Surgery 23 In This Business of Touch and Be Touched 24 Putting Down a Cat 26 A Goddess Shakes Spring Awake 27 The Clairvoyant 28 The Elements of Style 29 What Is Red 30 Page viii In St. John's Hospital 31 Autopsy 32 Where Snow Falls 33 III If Wishes Were Horses 37 Electra Dreams 38 The Crossing 39 The Holy Grail 40 Persephone Leaving 41 Behind This Passion 43 What Was Seen 44 Metaphor as Symptom of Reason's Despair 45 Nonesuch 46 The Fall 47 No Talking 49 IV Slow Dancer 53 Ashes 54 Like Spiders, Step by Step 55 & There He Kept Her, Very Well 56 Renunciation of Dreams and Such 57