Disposable Camera janet foxman Disposable Camera the university of chicago press Chicago & London foxman final lasers 9-4-12 janet foxman is a freelance writer and editor, as well as a senior production editor at a publishing house. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 60637 The University of Chicago Press, Ltd., London © 2012 by Janet Foxman All rights reserved. Published 2012. Printed in the United States of America 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 1 2 3 4 5 isbn-13: 978-0-226-92411-3 (paper) isbn-13: 978-0-226-92412-0 (e-book) isbn-10: 0-226-92411-4 (paper) isbn-10: 0-226-92412-2 (e-book) Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Foxman, Janet. [ Poems. Selections] Disposable camera / Janet Foxman. pages ; cm. — (Phoenix poets) Poems. Includes bibliographical references. isbn-13: 978-0-226-92411-3 (paperback : alkaline paper) isbn-10: 0-226-92411-4 (paperback : alkaline paper) isbn-13: 978-0-226-92412-0 (e-book) isbn-10: 0-226-92412-2 (e-book) I. Title. II. Series: Phoenix poets. ps3606.o96d57 2012 811'.54—dc23 2012017789 ∞ This paper meets the requirements of ansi/niso z39.48-1992 (Permanence of Paper). Contents Acknowledgments vii one New House 3 The Orchestra 4 Smorzando 9 Deciding Between Far- or Near-Sightedness Before Eye Surgery 10 Pages from My Father’s Dream Journal 11 Souvenir 15 Three Pictures 17 Ferryboat 18 Postcard from My Hometown in Summer 19 Disposable Camera 20 two Palindromist’s Song 23 Seven Ways of Paraphrase 24 Letters to My Twin 25 Mouths: In Their Own Words 31 Swimmers 32 Evening Poem 33 Last Act: The Creation 35 three Rex 39 Jellyfish 40 Dubuffet on Uncertainty 42 Letter 45 foxman final lasers 9-4-12 Dinner à Deux 47 Lines for a Love Poem 48 New Life 49 Spring 53 four Christ’s Entry into Brussels (Ensor) 57 The Führer Descends from Heaven 58 Masaccio Addresses Eve at the Brancacci Chapel 60 Anagramist’s Song 61 Harvest Fair 62 The Pause 63 Love Poem 65 Hermit’s Glossary 66 Tableau 72 Notes 73 foxman final lasers 9-4-12 Acknowledgments My thanks to the editors at Commonweal, where “Anagramist’s Song” and “Palindromist’s Song” first appeared. To my parents and sisters, Brian Holland, Susie Hwang, Deth Sao, Hiwet Bekele Samimi, Miriam Schiffer, and Chung Won I am inexpressibly in- debted. Warmest thanks also to Robert Pinsky; my peers at the Boston Uni- versity Creative Writing Department—especially Brandy Barents, Matthew Boudway, and Lonnie Manns; and to Randolph Petilos, Susan Karani, and Micah Fehrenbacher at the University of Chicago Press. Everlasting gratitude to Frank Bidart, from whose discernment and candor these poems benefited from the start; and to Louise Glück, for her inestima- ble insight and friendship, and for giving this manuscript the most generous scrutiny it could have hoped for. vii One